


I'm the Alpha and the Omega

by TVland4ever



Series: Alpha and Omega [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: 2 different endings, Alpha Castiel, Alpha Michael, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Happy Ending in Part 2 & Part 3, Infidelity, Jealousy, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating Rituals, Omega Dean, Part 1 Ends with a Cliffhanger, Part 2 is the 1st Version, Part 3 is the 2nd Version, Public Claiming, Public Humiliation, Public Sex, part of a series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-11
Updated: 2014-12-30
Packaged: 2018-02-04 06:12:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 50
Words: 155,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1768558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TVland4ever/pseuds/TVland4ever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where people form clans, made of alphas, betas and omegas, John finds himself alone, raising his two sons, Dean and Sam, after his wife's murder. Her death causes her family to threaten to take the boys away from him, while his clan, the Winchesters, is falling apart. When Dean becomes an omega, however, John sees it as an opportunity to solve all of his problems and finds a powerful and rich alpha suitor for Dean to mate and all three of them enter one of the strongest clans in America, the Novaks.</p><p>How successful can an arranged marriage be? Can Dean learn to love his new husband? What will happen when Dean meets his true mate?</p><p>NOT COMPLETED! YOU MUST READ PART 2 OR PART 3, WHICH ARE TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS, TO FIND OUT HOW THE STORY ENDS! THIS PART ENDS WITH A CLIFFHANGER!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> In the story alpha/beta/omega dynamics apply. However, we're not talking about werewolves or some other supernatural creature. They're humans in an alternate universe, where the families appear to form clans, something like packs. If that's not your kind of thing, avoid reading. For the rest of you that it is, I hope you enjoy it... Feel free to comment! XD

It was late at night and the moon was at its highest point in the sky. A gentle breeze came through the window and made Dean cover himself more with the sheet. Tonight he couldn’t sleep. In a week from now all that he knew would be over. The careless life of his youth was about to come to an end. There would be no turning back after this.

A year after his mother’s death everything was falling apart around him. His father felt unable to protect his sons anymore. He was an alpha with no honor. He couldn’t save his wife, why would he be able to protect his sons? He could see his clan ending and there was no way to stop it. When Azazel killed Mary, he killed a part of him too. John was left alone with two sons and the whole of Mary’s family hating him. They accused him of her death, of not being able to protect her and they were threatening to take his boys away from him.

Sam was about fourteen at the time and Dean was close to eighteen. When Mary died, none of them had manifested yet as an alpha, beta or omega, but it was obvious for both of them that they were going to be alphas. Sam, even at the age of fourteen, was huge and as for Dean, he had a muscular body that all his friends and classmates were jealous of. That is why it was such a huge surprise when two months after his mother’s death, Dean manifested as an omega.

Being a male omega was very rare and exactly because of its rarity, male alphas were always in search of male omegas, because it would be the highest prize for them to have one as a mate. Female alphas, betas and omegas were all able to become pregnant with child, but when it came to males, only the omegas were able to do that. Children that were born from a male alpha and a male omega were considered to be the strongest, wisest and the most powerful among all others. They were born to become leaders.

That is exactly how Dean ended up being one week away from his ceremonial union with the alpha leader of the Novak clan. When his father realized that Dean was an omega he didn’t waste any time to find the best suitor for him. Dean was his way out of his problems. If he could enter the Novak family, he and his sons would be safe again and there was nothing the Campbells could do about it. The Novaks were like royals in Kansas, where Dean and the rest of his family grew up, as well as in the rest of America and there was no one who dared to question it. Dean was about to mate with their leader and John couldn’t be more proud.

Dean, on the other hand, saw all this from a very different angle. He could see himself being sold like cattle to a man that he had never met before in his life and he was supposed to be a part of a humiliating ceremony that required him to be taken by his mate in front of the whole clan. Michael, the Novak’s leader, was going to mate him and claim him in front of everyone and Dean couldn’t possibly be more ashamed. This wasn’t the way his life was supposed to be. He was supposed to be an alpha, a leader himself. He would find a girl, a beta or an omega and he would have the family he always dreamed of. He would start working at Bobby’s auto shop like they were planning, before he was declared as an omega, and all would be good.

He, of course, knew all about his mate to be. How could he not? He saw his face daily on television. He was, after all, the most powerful man of their time. Michael was around thirty years old and for years people waited for him to find a mate and have children to pass on his heritage. There were always news about him, dating various women, and people were betting on when he would finally find the one and get mated and married. Women from all around America were salivating over him, because it wasn’t just the power he held, but he was also this gorgeous specimen of an alpha. He was tall, handsome, with black hair and blue eyes and a muscular body and he seemed to have everything a woman would want. But he remained unmated, like he was waiting for something special to come along and that special thing for him was Dean.

The moment John realized his son was an omega, he didn’t waste any time to look for suitors. He got the word out and sent pictures of Dean to all the powerful and rich families, with attached info about his son. His name, his age and most importantly the fact that he was an omega looking for a mate. When the said picture reached Michael’s hands, he immediately gave the order to bring the omega to him and stop what other negotiations there might be. Dean would be his mate and his mate only. Turns out that that’s exactly what Michael had been longing for this whole time. He wanted to have a male omega as a mate and now he had found the perfect one.

 

Dean felt like his brain was going to burst right out of his skull. After failing all night to fall asleep, he decided to get out of bed and go to the kitchen for some water. It was the last day he was staying at home. The next morning he and his family were going to Michael’s mansion in California, where a week from now the ceremony would be held. He was terrified of that moment, if he was being honest with himself, but he wouldn’t let his father and his brother know how he felt. It was his duty to do it for his family. He had to make sure that Sam and their father would have everything they needed and by entering the Novak’s family, he could give that to them.

When he got to the kitchen, he noticed his cell phone, which he had left earlier on the kitchen counter, buzzing. He got closer and saw his best friend’s name lighting up on the screen.

“Benny!” Dean said, when he picked up the phone.

“Hey brother. So, you’re up… I was right to think that you wouldn’t be able to sleep, huh? Tomorrow’s the big day. How do you feel?” came his friend’s voice from the other end of the line.

“I guess I’m a little anxious. I have a whole week to get terrified for the other thing. I’m just going to meet him tomorrow. It’s no big deal”, answered Dean.

“Sure… You know if anyone from your family is coming for the ceremony?”

“Unfortunately, yes. My grandparents will be there, as well as a few of my cousins. Even that douche, Christian. He’ll never let me forget of the humiliation of that day. He’s going to make fun of me for the rest of my life and the worst thing is that he’s going to have every right to do so. It’s so embarrassing, Benny. How am I going to go through with that? I can’t have sex in front of all that people for the first time in my life. What a stupid tradition”, said Dean, letting out a sigh.

“It’s not just you, Dean. Think of it like that. There were many others before you who did it and there will be more after. When an alpha and an omega mate, they do it in front of their families to strengthen the bond, ‘cause a bond between an alpha and an omega is for life, it’s eternal and it’s their way of celebrating it and embracing it.”

“Well, I don’t want to celebrate or embrace anything. I can’t believe my own body betrayed me like that. I was supposed to be an alpha, mate with Lisa probably and live a happily ever after life. Now she won’t even look at me. The minute I became an omega, I was dead to all women. The problem is I don’t feel like that about them. What am I going to do Benny? I don’t want to be a dude’s bitch, it’s not who I am”, said Dean, panicking.

“Don’t say that, brother. Being a male omega is an honorable thing. Male omegas are treated with great respect. You know how long your mate to be had been looking for one? You’re lucky to have him. All girls wish that they were in your place.”

“Yes, exactly. Girls… Women. It wasn’t my dream to mate with another man. Michael sees me as a prize. That’s all I am to him. He doesn’t even know me to feel something different from that.”

“When he does, I’m sure he will love you”, said Benny, trying to make Dean feel better.

“Yeah, whatever. I think I’ll go and try to sleep again. This has been a long night. Hopefully, I’ll get some shut eye. Goodnight Benny. I’ll see you in a week.”

“Bye, Dean. Goodnight. I’ll see you. Be well, brother”, he said and ended the phone call.

 

~ΑΩ~

 

Dean and his family reached Michael’s mansion the next afternoon, after spending a few excruciating hours for Dean on the plane and a few on the road. The Novak’s mansion was in California, close to the Angeles national forest. The moment Dean stepped a foot out of the car, he immediately hated the place. For him it was where the most humiliating moments of his life would take place. Fortunately, he and Michael wouldn’t stay in California for long. He knew that his mate to be had a permanent residence in New York and that’s where they were going to live, ‘cause that’s where Michael’s company was.

At the sound of the car arriving at the driveway, a bunch of servants came outside to greet them and help them with their luggage. They led them inside and showed them to their rooms. When Dean was settled in his own room, one of the servants, Rachel, informed him that Michael and the rest of the family would be waiting for him in the living room, when he was ready.

After taking a quick shower and changing his clothes, Dean headed to the living room with heavy steps. When he reached it, he noticed everyone’s gaze turning to him. His father and brother were already there, but it was the rest of them that worried him now.

“Uh, hi!” said Dean, blushing. ‘Hi!’… Really? Way to go Winchester.

“And you must be Dean. My precious Dean”, said Michael smiling.

“Come! Sit here next to me…” he said and Dean immediately obeyed. When he sat down, Michael took his left hand between his own and looked at him again, still smiling.

“How was your trip Dean? Did you have any trouble coming here? I hope it wasn’t very tiring for you”, he said, searching for one look from Dean, who was staring at his hand between Michael’s.

“Uhm, no it was okay. It wasn’t that long.”

“Good! I’m glad…” he said.

“I would like to introduce you to my family, if that’s okay with you. In a week they’re going to be your family too, anyway”, he said and stood up, taking Dean by the hand.

“This is my brother Gabriel and his wife Kali…” he said and Dean extended his hand for a handshake and they exchanged greetings of ‘nice to meet you’ and ‘how do you do’.

“My brother Lucifer and his wife Lilith”, Michael continued and Dean extended his hand again for a handshake. Lucifer took it with a smug expression on his face and before Dean had a chance to greet Lilith, Michael dragged him away from them to introduce him to the rest of his family.

“Here are my dear uncle Zachariah and his wife Naomi and over there, their son and my cousin Samandriel. We call him Alfie. Don’t ask me why, I’m not sure I know either…” Michael said, making everyone in the room laugh. When Dean was done greeting them, they moved to meet the rest.

“This is my father, Chuck”, said Michael and Chuck gave Dean a strong handshake.

“It’s nice to have you in the family, Dean. We’ve been waiting a long time for Michael to find his mate. We couldn’t hope for someone better”, said Chuck.

“It’s nice to meet you, sir. Thank you for your kind words…” answered Dean.

Michael smiled at that. It meant a lot to him that his father approved of his mate.

“And last but not least. My favorite sister in law, Anna. She’s the wife of my little brother, Castiel. He couldn’t be here today, ‘cause he’s still in New York, taking care of the family business, but he’ll be here for the ceremony, a week from now. You’ll meet him then”, he said.

“Hi, Anna. It’s nice to meet you”, said Dean, extending his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Dean. Welcome to our family”, she said, giving him a handshake.

“So, that’s everyone. You’ll meet the rest of the clan and our family’s friends next week. The day of the ceremony.”

“Okay”, said Dean.

“Are you hungry? Would you like to eat something? I’ll tell Rachel to make something if you are…” said Michael, full of concern. The way he was crowding Dean, was a little too much for him.

“Uhm, no… not really. I’m just a little tired”, admitted Dean, anticipating the moment he could be alone again in his room.

“Oh, of course… but there is something we need to discuss first, if you don’t mind.”

“Uhm… sure. What about?” asked Dean.

“The events of the ceremony. We need to discuss them with you and your father. We might as well say everything now and be done with the awkward part. My father and I need to be sure that you understand completely of what is about to happen on that day and that we have the consent of your father.”

All color was drained from Dean’s face and Michael noticed, but Dean nodded anyway. How could Michael possibly think that the awkward part would be talking about it? The awkward part would be the actual ceremony.

Soon, the four of them were inside the library. John and Chuck sat on the couch. Michael led Dean to sit on a chair in front of his desk and he sat on the desk’s chair, facing everyone.

“So… dad? Would you like to inform them of our tradition?” said Michael, giving Chuck the word.

“Well, Dean… I know you are young. You are eighteen, correct?” he asked.

“Yes sir. I turned eighteen two months ago”, answered Dean.

“I don’t suppose you have had any sexual relations until now, have you?”

“Uhm… no”, said Dean and blushed.  
“I’m still a virgin.”

“Well, that’s good, but you do realize that, the night of the ceremony, Michael will have to mate you and then knot you in front of everyone, right?”

“Yes, I’m aware of the tradition”, said Dean, blushing furiously.

“Look. It’s supposed to be their first time when a couple of an alpha and an omega mate during the ceremony, but considering your total inexperience in sex, it must be done before that night. We can’t risk it being too painful for you or your hole not taking Michael’s knot, because it’s too tight. You must be eased into it. Adjust to Michael’s knot before that night. There will be a lot of people, important people, present and everything must be perfect. The only thing that will happen then, for the first time, will be the final mark. Michael will bite you on your neck and he will complete the mating. Do you understand Dean? John are you okay with all this? I know it must be a little overwhelming, but we need to protect them from prying eyes. No one needs to see the awkward and painful parts of a mating. It wouldn’t be good for their image”, said Chuck, turning to John.

“Uuhh… yes of course”, answered John, uncomfortably. The truth is that he was crawling in his skin. He hated the idea of watching his son being taken by another man in public, but at least they wanted to ease Dean into it, before that night.

“Now, if we have an agreement about that, I think we can let John go. He doesn’t need to hear about the rest of it. It’s just details about the ceremony, that’s all. John?” he said and stood up, escorting Dean’s father to the exit.

When the door closed behind John, Chuck turned his attention back to Dean.

“Well, now that we are alone and hopefully you’ll feel more comfortable that your father isn’t here to listen to all of this, we need to talk specifics”, he said.

“Yeah, okay”, answered Dean. His heart was hammering inside his chest.

“From this night and every night until the ceremony you will be sleeping with Michael, in order to adjust to him. You will take his knot every time and during the day you are expected to wear plugs in the shape of his penis and his knot, so that your body will get used to it. When he takes you that night, it must be an easy fit. No one must see any sort of discomfort. It’s how it’s always been done. Everyone knows, but no one speaks of it. It would be cruel to expect you to perform like that, in front of a crowd nonetheless, at your first time.”

Michael noticed that Dean had turned red in the face and decided to speak up.  
“Dad, it’s okay. He got it. Can we please skip all that and get to the actual night of the ceremony?” he said.

“Oh, yes… of course. Uhm… it is customary to paint the couple with gold paint. Your whole body will have been shaved that day and then they will cover every inch of it with the paint. Michael will be also wearing a golden helmet in the shape of a wolf’s head during the time of the act. After you say your vows in front of a priest, you will move to a platform filled with fur and when the time comes… you will… perform. Make sure that it lasts for at least twenty minutes and well then you will be joined for another half an hour or so. That’s when all the guests will come to you to present their gifts.”

“Wait… wait… wait…” said Dean for the first time after a while.  
“You mean that we will be naked and joined and still be there? And not only that, but we will make contact with the guests? I don’t know if I’m okay with this. It’s too much… You can’t possibly expect me…”

“Dean, I understand that this is a bit uncomfortable, but it’s the same for Michael and he is a public figure, might I add. You don’t hear him complaining, though, do you?” said Chuck.

“A bit uncomfortable? Try completely embarrassing and humiliating. I don’t think I can do this. Sorry… I won’t agree to that.”

“Your father has already given the okay, Dean…”

“So? He isn’t the one who will have to do it. This tradition is ridiculous and you know it. We don’t live in the middle ages anymore. You can’t be serious about all this”, Dean said, angrily and then turned to Michael.

“Don’t you have anything to say to all this? I can’t believe that this is something that you could possibly want. It’s going to be humiliating for the both of us”, he said and watched Michael glancing at his father and then at his hands.

“Dean… it’s the tradition. Please, don’t be mad at me… I will help you through it. We’ll deal with it together.”

“That you will”, said Chuck and got up.  
“I’ll better let you two lovebirds alone to get to know each other a little better. I’ll see you both at dinner”, he said and left the room, closing the door behind him.

“So, now what? Michael, please man… don’t ask me to do that. Can’t we at least not do it in front of everyone? How can you even get it up in front of all that people?”

“I’ll have you. It’s enough for me to get aroused. You are very arousing Dean, trust me. Your smell is incredible”, he said and got close to Dean. He took him in his arms and then started sniffing his neck.

“God, you’re perfect. I can’t believe I finally get to have you. I’ve waited to find someone like you for so long”, Michael said and then moved his lips to Dean’s, but before he had a chance to kiss him, Dean pushed him away.

“Hey, there’s no rush or anything. We just met. I think you can keep your tongue inside your mouth for now”, said Dean, avoiding Michael’s gaze.

“I’m sorry Dean. I didn’t mean to offend you. I just…”

“No, it’s okay. I get it… Can I ask you a question? Was your father being serious about the plugs and all that shit? ‘Cause I gotta tell you that this is something that simply won’t happen.”

“I… the truth is that they bought toys, after taking measures of my member, for you to use, but no one will force you to use anything that you don’t want to. Anyway, I think that our time together in bed will be more than enough for your body to adjust.”

“Michael, I’m not ready. Before I came here, I thought I had a week to worry about that.”

“Don’t be afraid, Dean. I would never do anything to hurt you… You are precious to me. I promise, I’ll be gentle. You won’t feel any pain.”

“Yeah, well… still, I don’t think I’m ready to sleep with you. Just give me a couple of days. Get to know you a little better and then we’ll try, but please… not today or tomorrow. This is too fast for me” he said, looking Michael in the eye.

“I suppose I can give you the time you need, as long as we consummate the mating before the ceremony, so that we don’t have any unpleasant surprises, okay?” he asked and stroked Dean’s cheek.

“Yeah, okay. Uhm… I’m a little tired. Would you mind if I go to my room until dinner time?” Dean asked.

“Of course not, Dean. You can go. I have some work to do, anyway. See you at dinner”, he said and kissed Dean’s forehead.

“See you”, replied Dean and left the room.

If he had to say something about Michael, Dean would say that he was at least understanding and that he wasn’t the kind of man that would push him into doing anything he didn't want to. So, that was good. The bad thing was, that despite his good looks and apparently good character, he didn’t feel right to Dean as a mate. He wasn’t what Dean pictured his mate to be like, but well, it’s not like he ever had a mate before to know. He guessed that after the mating was complete, he would start feeling differently about Michael, or at least he hoped that that would be the case. He would just have to wait and see.


	2. Family Dinner

It was around eight o’clock in the evening when Dean woke up from his nap. He had said that he was tired before, but he hadn’t really realized how much tired he was. The truth is that he used it as an excuse to go to his room and stay away from everyone in the house, but the lack of sleep during the previous night and the trip to California had exhausted him and he slept for four hours straight.

After going to his private bathroom to wash up and brush his teeth, he changed out of the clothes he wore in bed and dressed to his usual jeans, boots and t-shirt with an unbuttoned dark shirt over it with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. When they first arrived at the house, his father had insisted that he should wear more formal clothes and he was dressed in a white shirt with a tie and his only pair of dress pants, but Dean didn’t see any reason to get dressed like that again. Sure, everyone seemed to be dressed in formal clothing, but soon he and Michael would be mated and married. He couldn’t seriously expect him to wear that kind of clothes all the time.

When he reached the living room, he found Gabriel talking with Michael’s other brother, Lucifer. Lucifer had seemed weird to Dean. When he greeted him earlier, Lucifer had given him a funny look that Dean didn’t really know how to interpret. The weirdest thing was that Michael had noticed it as well and he quickly pulled Dean away from his brother, so that he could introduce him to the rest of the family, before he even had a chance to greet Lucifer’s wife, Lilith.

The moment the two brothers noticed Dean’s presence in the room, they stopped talking about whatever it was they were talking about when Dean entered the living room.

“Oh, Dean! You’re awake… Come sit here with us. Michael is still working in the library, but dinner will be served soon, so you will see him then”, said Gabriel.

“Uhm… thanks, but I was actually looking for my brother and father. Do you know where they might be?”

“Oh, yeah… actually. Our father is showing them around the area. They should be back soon. You know, for dinner.”

“Oh, okay”, said Dean and started looking around him uncomfortably. He didn’t really want to stay with Michael’s brothers, not that the alternative –going to find Michael himself- was any better, but he felt really uneasy around Lucifer.

“Oh, don’t be shy. We won’t bite. Come here and sit with us, so that we can learn a little about our new brother in law”, said Gabriel.

“Oh, speak for yourself, brother. I wouldn’t mind biting that”, said Lucifer, smirking.

Dean felt his face turning red.  
“Please, don’t mind him, Dean. He likes to screw with people. So, is your bedroom alright? Your bed comfortable enough?”

“Yeah, everything is fine.”

“I don’t know why you’re asking him about his bed. It’s not like he’s going to use it. From this night forward, the only bed he’s going to use is Michael’s. That’s the bed he should test to see if it’s comfortable enough. Well, as comfortable as it can get with Michael in it”, said Lucifer, enjoying the expression on Dean’s face.

“Enough with your jokes, Lucifer. Don’t tease the boy. So, Dean… tell us about you. You are quite young. Have you finished high school yet?” asked Gabriel.

“Yeah, I have. Two months ago. A few days after my birthday. I just turned eighteen”, he answered.

“Well, Michael likes them young, doesn’t he?” said Lucifer, an evil smile spreading on his face.

“Shut it, Lucy… Do you have any plans on what you’re going to do now that you finished school? Any college dreams maybe?” Gabriel asked him again.

“Well, to be honest, I wasn’t planning on going to college. Before presenting as an omega, I was planning on working at my friend’s, Bobby, auto shop. I’m good with cars and I like fixing them. But, now… I don’t really know. My brother is the one interested in going to college. He’s really smart. He might even get a scholarship, but he has three more years of school, so…”

“It is quite unlikely for you to work at your friend’s auto shop. I’m assuming it’s in Lawrence, where you lived? You and Michael will be staying at New York. Most of the family lives there actually. Only our father, Chuck, lives here. The rest of us work in Michael’s company, so we live in New York. Michael might find a job for you in his company, though…” said Gabriel.

Lucifer snorted beside him.  
“You actually think that Michael is going to let his precious omega work? Yeah, right! Not a chance… It’s good that you don’t have any college dreams either, Dean, because Michael wouldn’t allow you to go to college. I’m afraid the only future for you is to raise Michael’s children. I’m sorry, if I’m ruining it for you, but that’s just how Mikey is”, said Lucifer.

“Don’t listen to him. Michael is a good guy. He’ll listen to anything you might want. He would never lock you up in the house, just raising your children.”

“It’s too soon to know what I’m going to do, really. I think that I need to get to New York, before I decide about anything”, said Dean.

“Oh, don’t worry. You won’t have to decide about anything. Michael will do that for you. He’ll even choose your clothes for you. Speaking of which… Are you sure that that’s what you’re going to wear at dinner?” said Lucifer, pointing at Dean’s attire.

“Uuhh… yeah, why? The truth is that most of my clothes are like that. I don’t really dress fancy… like... ever”, said Dean, looking uncomfortable.

“Don’t worry, Dean. Don’t listen to him. Your clothes are fine. Michael and the rest of the family always kind of dress fancy, as you say, but it’s mostly because of our jobs. Most of the time we get dinner right after we return home from work and we don’t really change until we bathe and dress for bed. I’m sure that Michael will have no problem with whatever you choose to wear at dinner, as long as you’re comfortable with it”, said Gabriel, reassuringly.

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see”, said Lucifer, smirking again.

A moment later, they heard the front door open and Chuck came to the living room with Dean’s father and brother.

“Oh, Dean… you’re up!” said Chuck, when he noticed Dean was in the room.

“I showed your folks around a little bit. Mostly we went to see the place where the ceremony will be held. It’s being transformed as we speak and it will be ready in a few days. I wanted to show you around as well, but you needed your rest. I understand. We’ll have the chance to do it some other time before you and Michael leave for New York”, he said and then turned his attention to his sons.

“Well, Gabriel…, Lucifer? Where are your lovely wives and Anna?”

“Oh, I’m sure Kali and Lilith are somewhere around the house, gossiping and trying on clothes or whatever. The last time I saw Anna, she was talking on the phone with Castiel. I think she might still be talking with him”, said Gabriel.

“Oh, those two. They’re so in love. I’m surprised Anna decided to come here without him. I hope Castiel deals with his responsibilities soon. But, what can you say? He had to work, or else he would be here with the rest of us. Speaking of work, please don’t tell me that Michael is still working. He’s been in that room, making phone calls and working on his computer, since Dean went to sleep”, he said and turned his attention back to Dean.

“Dean, this is something that you need to work on with Michael. He’s a workaholic. You really need to loosen him up”, he said and gave Dean a pat on his back.

“Why don’t you go and tell him that we’re ready for dinner? I think that you are the only one he will listen. He never pays us any attention when he’s working. I’m sure he will appreciate it, if you go.”

“Uuhh… yeah, sure. Why not? I’ll go get him, if you excuse me.”

“Go ahead Dean. We’ll move to the dining room. You’ll find us there”, he said and then Dean headed towards the library.

When he reached the door, he could hear Michael talking. He guessed he was on the phone, but he decided to knock on the door anyway.

“Come in”, he heard Michael say.

Hesitantly he opened the door and then entered. Michael was still talking on the phone and he had his back at the door, sitting casually at the edge of his desk. Dean just stood there and waited for Michael to end with his phone call to speak.

“Yes, of course… No, I understand. If you have the papers ready by Monday, then we’ll have no problem at all… Well, I’m not in New York right now, but my assistant Meg can receive them on my behalf… No, I won’t be back until next week… Yes, I’m in California for my wedding and mating ceremony… yes… thank you Mr. Crowley… Sure, I’ll see you in New York… Yes, of course… Goodbye” he said and hang up the phone.

The moment his conversation was over he turned back around to see who was at the door. When he saw it was Dean, he smiled softly.

“Dean!” he said and moved to go to his mate to be. As he reached him, he took Dean by the hand and moved to sit on the couch with him. After they sat down on it, Michael took Dean’s hands between his own.

“I hope you rested well. Is everything okay with your room?” he asked, stroking Dean’s hand with his thumb.

“Yeah, it’s cool. I… uh, actually I came to tell you that we’re all ready for dinner… so…”

“Really? What time is it?” asked Michael.

“It’s almost nine…” said Dean.

“So late? I didn’t realize that time had passed like that… I was working and time just flew… Uhm, okay then. We can go, if you’re ready.”

“Yeah. I’m good.”

“Dean… uh… did something happen to the clothes you were wearing earlier? Are they stained? Did they not bring all your luggage? I hope you packed everything at your father’s home, because after this, we’re going straight to New York. We won’t have time to stop in Lawrence and get the rest of your stuff.”

“Uh… no, I packed everything. I have everything upstairs, in my room. I just changed into different clothes after I slept. I didn’t want to wear what I was wearing before, because I wore them in the plane and I felt uncomfortable”, he said, feeling slightly embarrassed and remembering Lucifer’s words from earlier.

“And couldn’t you choose something more appropriate? I mean, Dean… you can’t wear jeans and boots at dinner. It’s not proper…”

“I… I don’t really have any other clothes like that. All my other clothes are like this… I never wore fancy clothes before… I’m sorry…” said Dean.

“No, it’s okay baby. You can wear something of mine. We seem to be the same size. It should fit… We’ll buy you some new clothes when we get to New York. As my mate, you need to start dressing differently than before, Dean. We complete each other’s image and we need to look good. We have a reputation to uphold. I can’t have the paparazzi and the journalists say that I married a poor boy from Lawrence, with no education and proper clothes… I want everyone to be jealous of me, because I have the most wonderful mate…” he said and lowered his head to kiss Dean, but Dean pulled back.

“Uh… do you want me to go change then?” he asked, trying to avoid Michael’s gaze. Michael just looked at him irritated, because he avoided his kiss once more.

“No, it’s okay. Leave it… I’ll give you some clothes tomorrow. You’ll sleep in my room anyway, tonight… we can pick something for you tomorrow morning. Let’s go to dinner…” he said and got up, offering Dean his hand.

Dean just looked at it, without taking it.  
“Michael, you promised me that you would give me some time…”

“Yes, I told you that I would give you some time… but this is getting ridiculous Dean. You won’t even let me kiss you… I understand that sex might be too much for you, but you won’t even let me have this…So, why should I agree to your terms? You’re sleeping with me, tonight. End of discussion… Now, let’s go. Everyone must be waiting for us”, he said and Dean finally took his hand. He didn’t dare to speak again, because he could see that Michael was angry at him and they both walked back out of the room, holding hands.

When they reached the dining room, everyone was at their place.

“Oh, you’re here. We can tell the servants to bring the food then”, said Chuck and made a gesture with his hand to one of the servants that was inside the room to serve them with food.

Michael sat down at the right side of his father, who was sitting at the head of the table, and pulled Dean to sit right next to him.

“So, Michael… is everything okay with the company? Did you finish with your phone calls, before Dean came to get you?” asked Chuck.

“Yeah, mostly. It was late anyway, I’m gonna have to make some phone calls tomorrow as well. Everyone is going crazy over this deal with Crowley’s company. Thank god I have Meg in New York, I don’t know how else I could deal with everything. I can’t even have my own wedding at peace… At least, I talked to Crowley earlier and he agreed to give the papers for the deal to Meg. He didn’t want to. He said he should wait for me, but I don’t want the deal to be delayed because of that. We have already signed it anyway. It was just something typical.”

“You shouldn’t worry so much, son. You’re doing great. I need you to focus on the good things right now. Like your wedding… you have your beautiful mate right next to you. Don’t worry about work. It’s exactly why Castiel was left behind. To take care of everything… Speaking of Castiel… Anna? Did he tell you when he’s planning on coming to L.A.?”

“He said he shouldn’t be long. Maybe the day after tomorrow. He’ll be here way before the day of the ceremony, if nothing else comes up, of course”, the redheaded woman, Anna, answered.

“Oh, great… that’s good news”, said Chuck and then they all started eating. For at least half an hour, no one was really talking. There were just small conversations here and there and they were almost finished with their food, when Chuck decided to speak up again.

“So, Dean… tell me… Did you apply to any college? I know that the fact that you have to live in New York limits your choices, but there are great schools there… What are you thinking about doing, when you get to New York?” Chuck asked. Everyone turned to look at Dean.

“Uh… I haven’t really thought about it…” Dean started, blushing furiously at the unwanted attention.

“Actually, we had a conversation about it earlier”, said Gabriel.  
“Dean told us that he wanted to be a mechanic, before becoming an omega and consequently Michael’s mate…” he continued. Dean felt Michael stiffen next to him.

“Oh, yeah… Dean said that he had even found a place to work, before everything went to hell after he became an omega…” said Lucifer, smirking. He was aware of the kind of mess his words could provoke.

Michael just held his fork tighter in his fist and tried to calm himself before he could speak.  
“I’m sorry if our marriage is ruining your plans of becoming a filthy mechanic Dean, but you were the one who started looking for suitors. You could have stayed in Lawrence and become a mechanic if that’s what you wanted… no one forced you into this… Just because you’re an omega, it doesn’t mean that you have to get mated right away and not work”, he said angrily, staring daggers at Dean. They weren’t even mated yet and Dean was already accusing him for changing his life.

“It’s not… I didn’t… I never meant it like that… I just said that these were the only plans I had made before I manifested. I… didn’t…” Dean tried to explain and defend himself.

“Mr. Novak, I assure you that Dean would never…” started John.

“Please, my friends. Let’s not argue. It’s obviously a misunderstanding. Michael, son… please… don’t be upset with Dean… he never meant what you understood. He simply said that things were different for him, before he manifested. He would have to work hard to support a family, if he became an alpha or even a beta. But an omega has different responsibilities and Dean gets that. He has a different part to play now…” said Chuck, trying to prevent them from fighting.

Dean was staring at his food with a sad expression on his face. Michael looked at him and understood how bad he made him feel.

“I’m sorry, Dean… I didn’t mean to yell at you… Forgive me…” he said.

“No, it’s okay… I’m sorry if what I said offended you, but it’s the truth. That’s what I wanted to be… a mechanic… but then, my priorities changed and the truth is that I don’t know what I want to do now. Where I want to work…”

“Dean, don’t be silly. You don’t have to work. I make plenty of money for the both of us. Don’t worry about New York… you’ll quickly get used to the life there… and you’re gonna love our apartment. It’s in the Upper East Side, of course, and it’s huge. I can already see our children running around in it”, he said and moved his chair closer to Dean, so that their thighs were touching.

“Oh, isn’t that sweet?” came Lilith’s voice from the other side of the table. It was the first time that Dean heard her speak.

Michael just took Dean’s hand in his own and started rubbing soothing circles with his thumb on it. It seemed that both Lilith and Lucifer really affected him and Dean felt that the way Michael was holding his hand was more so that he could calm himself than to comfort Dean.

“I’m wondering Michael… are you going to be as sweet, up in the platform, while fucking him?” she said and then she and Lucifer started laughing.

“Lilith, please…” came Chuck’s voice.  
“This is highly inappropriate. The tradition is what it is. We don’t need to make it more difficult for them”, he said.

“Don’t listen to them, babe…” said Michael and held Dean’s hand tighter.  
“We’ll be fine… Are you done with your food?” he asked, still stroking Dean’s hand with his thumb.

“Yes, I’m done.”

“Okay, let’s go upstairs then. I don’t feel like staying here any longer”, said Michael and got up from his chair. After a second Dean did too.

“Goodnight everyone. I’m going to see you tomorrow. Dad, tell uncle Zachariah that we need to take care of some business tomorrow morning. Tell him to not be late…” said Michael.

“Okay, son. Goodnight. Goodnight Dean.”

“’Night”, said Dean and then followed Michael out of the room.

“I hope the walls are thick, or we’re not getting any sleep tonight”, said Lucifer after they were gone and laughed.

“Lucifer and Lilith… I can’t believe you two. You’ve been making these kind of comments all night. If not for Michael, have some respect for our guests. Dean’s brother and father are sitting right here with us. Have some manners… God…” said Chuck, angrily.

“Sorry, dad”, murmured Lucifer.

“We’re sorry, father. We didn’t mean to offend anyone”, said Lilith.

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to. Anyway, I say we call it a night. John… Sam, you can go to your rooms, if you want. I’m sure you’re exhausted. You didn’t have the chance to sleep earlier, like Dean”, said Chuck.

“Yes, the truth is that we’re quite tired. We’ll see you tomorrow. Come Sam”, said John.

“Yes, father”, said Sam and followed his father out of the room, after they both said goodnight to everyone.

“Well, I think that’s my cue too. Goodnight everyone and please behave yourselves”, said Chuck and left the room.

“So…” started Gabriel, when it was just him and Kali and Lucifer with Lilith and Anna at the table.  
“You think Mikey will take the boy’s virginity tonight?” he said.

“Oh… Dean is so fucked”, said Lucifer and they all burst out laughing.


	3. The Night is Young, More Time for Fun

Dean followed Michael, trembling a little along the way, until they reached the door of his bedroom. When they got inside, Michael stood in front of the room’s balcony door and looked outside, while he started undoing his tie. Dean just stood frozen by the door, looking around the room, until he found the courage to speak up.

“Uhm…, would you mind if I go get some clothes from my room to sleep in?” he asked hesitantly.

Michael turned around to look at him and dropped his tie on the armchair next to him, where he had also left his suit jacket. He walked towards Dean, while undoing his shirt’s buttons, and stopped right in front of him. Dean could feel his heart hammering inside his chest. Michael noticed Dean’s discomfort and smirked.

“You really think you’re going to need any clothes tonight?” he asked him, staring at Dean’s green eyes.

“I… uh…” started Dean, feeling his heart dropping to his feet.

“Relax… I’m just messing with you”, said Michael and moved towards his dresser. He opened the second drawer and picked some cotton pajama bottoms in a dark blue color and then handed them to Dean.  
“You can wear this”, he said and resumed his task of unbuttoning his shirt.

“Uh, thank you… What about a t-shirt?” Dean asked, feeling like he was pushing his luck.

“Do you really need one? I myself never wear any in bed and that’s why I didn’t think of giving you one”, said Michael and removed his shirt. Dean’s eyes traveled to the other man’s naked torso and his well-formed abs.

“I guess I could… sleep shirtless…” he said, the hesitance obvious in his voice, while never taking his eyes away from Michael’s abs.

“Do you mind that?” asked Michael, noticing Dean’s gaze and starting to unbutton his pants.

“Uh… no. It’s cool. I mean, I’ve slept like that many times before”, he said, following Michael’s hand movements with his eyes.

Michael smirked once more and then let his pants drop and pool around his ankles, before stepping out of them. Dean stared with wide eyes the huge size of Michael’s dick, which was obvious under his briefs and swallowed audibly. Michael paid him no attention and he quickly removed his shoes and shocks and then turned his back on Dean, picking up his pants from the floor and placing them on the armchair with the rest of his clothes.

Dean was left staring at Michael’s perfectly carved body. His beautifully muscled back, his tight ass and his long strong legs.

When Michael turned around again, he could see that Dean was flushed on the face and that he was obviously aroused.  
“Like what you see?” he asked, raising a brow suggestively. 

“You are very… uhm… pleasing… yeah. I’ve never seen another man so naked before, apart from my brother and father, that is, but that doesn’t count”, answered Dean, unable to take his eyes off Michael’s penis.

“Well, I’m not even naked yet, baby… But I will get naked for you, if you want me to.”

Dean felt slick gathering inside his asshole and moved a little uncomfortably.  
“Uhm… no, I’m good. You don’t have to… I…” started Dean.

“You know Dean, I can smell you from here. You’re obviously aroused. I can smell your slick… Why are you fighting this so much? I know you want it. You want me to fuck you.”

“I don’t know what I want. This is just my omega body reacting to your alpha one. I still don’t feel ready to have sex.”

“Please tell me… What do you want?” said Michael, frustrated.  
“You understand that it must be done before the ceremony, right? …If you feel uncomfortable having sex with me, do you prefer to use a plug, like my father suggested, instead?” he asked.

“God no! I don’t want to use a plug. That’s too much for me. No… no way!” said Dean.

“Then what, Dean? You don’t get it, but it’s you we’re trying to protect, when we tell you that it needs to be done before the ceremony. I won’t lie to you. It will be painful the first time, but it will get better. But we do have to start from somewhere…”

“If you wanted to protect me, you wouldn’t allow this humiliating ceremony to happen in the first place. After it happens, I won’t have the courage to look at anyone in the eye, ever again. And especially my father and my brother. It is humiliating for an omega, don’t you get it? I don’t want to do it… please… Why can’t we just get married like alphas and betas do? Why do we have to have that stupid ceremony? It’s archaic, Michael. Don’t you see it? I thought you were a progressive kind of guy, from what I saw on TV and heard about you, before we met. How can you want this?”

“Dean, this isn’t something that I would choose to do, if I had a say in it. Trust me, I understand how you feel. But my father thinks that we need to follow the tradition and that’s exactly what we’ll do.”

“You don’t have a say in it? Are you kidding me? Who does, if not the two of us? They won’t listen to me, because I’m an omega, but surely, they would listen to you. You are the most important member of this family and the most successful... For God's sake, you are the first Alpha of the whole damn clan… how do you allow them to control your life like that?” he said, starting to feel more confident.

“I… don’t, Dean… please…” Michael said, lowering his head.

“What are you so afraid of that you’re looking so desperately for your father’s approval? I’ve noticed how you are with your brother, the blond one… Lucifer. He’s really getting under your skin, that one. What’s the story behind it?” he asked.

“Dean, please don’t try to manipulate me. The relationship me and my brother share has nothing to do with you.”

“I’m going to be your mate. The way I see it, everything about you has to do with me.”

“Okay… you’re right. It has, but this isn’t something that I’m willing to talk about right now”, Michael said and sighed.  
“Please, why don’t you change your clothes and go to bed? I’m gonna have a shower. I’ll be out shortly”, he said and then walked into the bedroom’s private bathroom.

Dean was left alone in the room. He walked towards the bed and then sat on it. He buried his face in his hands and sighed heavily. He couldn’t understand what the deal with Michael was, but he had to try and convince him to cancel the ceremony. For Dean, it was now obvious that Michael had only agreed to it, because it was something his father wanted and he seemed to care a lot about his father’s opinion and approval. He was like him, he guessed, when it came to that. He too had agreed on this marriage, because it was something his father told him he had to do for the family.

Not wanting to think about it any longer, Dean decided that he’d better change and get to bed. It was better for him to be in bed when Michael came back, anyway, because he could pretend to be sleeping, if the other man wanted to try anything sexual with him. Not that he seemed to have any plans like that, when he went inside the bathroom. In spite of their talk earlier that day, in which Michael said that he had enough of Dean’s games, he now seemed okay with keeping his promise of not touching Dean until he allowed him to. So, Dean got rid of his clothes quickly, placing them at the armchair with Michael’s and then wore the pair of pajama bottoms that Michael had given him. 

Walking again towards the bed, he touched absently his abs and remembered Michael’s. He suddenly felt all hot and bothered. He had been feeling like that for a while now. Dean thought that it was good that he could at least get so easily aroused by him, because if he couldn’t, it would be even more difficult for him to have sex with his mate the first time.

Ten minutes later, Michael got out of the bathroom and then walked with a towel around his waist towards the dresser. Dean was still awake and he followed his mate to be with his gaze. The lights were off and the room was dark, so Michael couldn’t really see Dean, but Dean could see everything, because his eyes had adjusted by now to the darkness. 

Michael opened the first drawer and then took a new pair of briefs. He let the towel drop to his feet and then he bended over so that he could wear his underwear. The moment he did, though, Dean felt a new wave of lust washing over him. He felt his hole quickly filling with slick and his dick hardening. Michael smelled Dean’s arousal and quickly turned to see him on the bed.

“Dean? Are you…?” he said.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I can’t control my own body. I guess what they say about omegas is correct. The only thing they want all the time is an alpha’s knot up their ass”, he said and buried his face in his hands, breathing heavily.

“Dean don’t say that. Don’t talk about yourself or your kind like that. I don’t share that opinion”, said Michael and then approached the bed, sitting right next to Dean.  
“Uhm… have you had any heats yet? I mean after your first one, obviously. I know it was only recently that you became an omega and perhaps you don’t know all the mechanics”, he said.

“No, not yet. After my first, when I presented, I haven’t had any. You think I might be going into heat?” he asked, terrified.

“Well, you did just move in a house full of alphas that share absolutely no family bond with you. And I am an unmated one, so it is quite possible that my smell might have triggered it. The first sign of a heat is getting aroused with little effort or without even wanting it, most of the time”, he said.

“So, you say that I might be in heat the day of the ceremony?” asked Dean, his eyes wide with fear.

“I don’t know. It might not be a heat. I had a few omega girlfriends back in the day and that’s how I know about it, but this might be something different. You might just be really into me”, he said and smirked.

“Oh, my God! I’m going into heat. I’m going to die of embarrassment…” said Dean.

“I’m not going to comment on your realization right now…” said Michael.

“Sorry Michael, but this just isn’t me. I wouldn’t be that aroused by anyone so quickly, regardless of how much I liked them.”

“Don’t apologize. I understand. I was just kidding… Do you want to go to your own room? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. If it really is the beginning of a heat, I’ll only make it worse…” Michael said.

“No! I mean… I want to stay here… I’ll feel safer with you in the room if it is a heat. It will be better, if we let it come now, so that it can end before the night of the ceremony. Because what’s even more embarrassing than a public mating, is a public mating while being in heat.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

“Come lie down next to me…” said Dean out of the blue. Michael looked at him curiously for a second, but didn’t have to be told twice and lifted the coverings to get under them.

When he was in bed with Dean, the omega immediately went in his arms and buried his face in the crook of Michael’s neck.

“You smell so good”, he commented.

Michael started stroking his back lightly and let a sigh.  
“Dean, go to sleep, baby. I don’t want you to do something that you’ll regret, when your head is clear. We’ll have plenty of time for that later… Perhaps tomorrow we can go into town and buy some suppressants for you to stop your heat” he said and kissed Dean’s forehead.

“Okay”, said Dean and held on Michael tighter. He had to get a grip of himself. Luckily for him, Michael was willing to give him the time he needed. He couldn’t mess this up on his own. 

Soon, he felt his eyelids getting heavy and he clearly relaxed. Michael felt Dean’s breaths becoming slow and even on his neck and he let himself relax too in the presence of his mate. He then let a small smile form on his lips, because he felt happy that Dean wanted to stay with him. That he told him he felt safer when Michael was around. With that thought on his mind, Michael closed his eyes and only moments later they were both deeply asleep, buried in each other’s arms. This was the first night they spent together. It wasn’t an eventful one, but it surely helped to bring them closer.

…Α-Ω…

When Dean woke up the next morning, he was alone in the room. His throat was dry and he felt too hot all over his body. He quickly got out from under the bedding and the moment he did, he noticed that the pajamas Michael had given him were soaked with his slick. So, it was definitely a heat then.

“Oh, God… no!” he murmured and buried his face in his hands. 

He got up from the bed and saw that even the sheets were soaked.  
“Fuck!” he said. He quickly moved to remove them from the bed and then he took them with him in the bathroom. 

He had a long cold shower and when he finished, he noticed an unopened package of a toothbrush, next to Michael’s, at the washbasin. He opened it and used the new toothbrush to brush his teeth and then went back to the room. It was obvious that someone had come inside the room while he was at the bathroom, because the bed was made again and there were some clothes lying on top of it, along with a small pharmacy paper bag. When he opened it, he found a box of suppressants and then saw that there was also a glass of water at the nightstand, which wasn’t there before he went to the bathroom. He quickly swallowed two, like the box suggested and then dressed in the clothes that were lying on the bed, which were obviously left there for him.

When he got downstairs, he heard some voices coming from the dining room and moved towards the sound, in hope of finding his brother or his father. Before he stepped inside the room, though, the conversation he heard made him stop.

“Did you hear anything last night? I didn’t… they were too quiet”, Dean heard Gabriel say.

“Perhaps Dean is not a screamer or maybe it’s because Michael is a lousy lover”, came Lucifer’s voice. Dean could picture his stupid face, when he said those things. 

“Yes, but not even a moan? I was trying to listen to anything, but… it was too quiet… Did you see Michael this morning? Before he went inside the library with uncle Zachariah, he cornered Inias and sent him somewhere outside the house. I don’t know if he’s back yet”, said Gabriel.

“Oh, I saw him a few minutes ago. He was holding a small pharmacy bag and he was heading towards Michael’s bedroom”, Dean heard a woman’s voice say and guessed it was Gabriel’s wife, Kali.

“A pharmacy bag? What could he possibly sent him to buy? Do you think it was something for Dean?” asked Gabriel.

“Oh, I know… I know… Maybe he sent him to buy some of the magic blue pills, because Michael couldn’t get it up”, said Lucifer and the three of them started laughing.

Dean had enough of the crap he was hearing and decided to step into the room then.

“Good morning!” he said with a serious expression.

Everyone froze and stopped laughing. 

“Good morning Dean”, said Gabriel, after composing himself.  
“How was your night?” he said and winked at Lucifer.

Dean noticing the exchange between the two, rolled his eyes and then sat on a chair at the dining table.

“It was hot”, he answered and took a bite of a croissant that was in front of him on the table, ignoring them completely.

Gabriel, Kali and Lucifer, all exchanged confused and interested looks.  
“What does that mean?” Gabriel finally asked.

“What do you think it means?” said Dean and smirked.

“Uhm… I don’t know. Do you mean it was hot in general or that you got hot in particular? I myself found the night to be cold enough”, he said.

“Well, I guess not everyone has the luck to have such a fantastic lover in their bed. With the right company it always gets hot”, he said and continued eating his croissant. 

All three stared at him. Then, Dean turned to look at Kali.

“Did you too find the night cold? Was Gabriel unsuccessful at keeping you warm? You know, you two should really look into that. You’re too young to stop having sex. If you’ve stopped already, what will you do when you’re like eighty?” he said and made Gabriel choke on his bite. 

That was the moment when John and Sam chose to come to the room.  
“Good morning everyone… Son?” he said and gave an affectionate pat on Dean’s back.

“Morning dad …Sammy”, Dean said, smiling.

“Well, you’re in a good mood”, John commented.

“Yeah, I guess a good night’s sleep was all I needed”, he said and continued eating his food.

Sam gave him a questioning look, but let it go. He knew that face. Dean always had that face on, after making a successful prank or manipulating someone into doing something for him or whatever. Sam couldn’t understand what could have possibly brought that expression on his brother’s face, though. Anyway, the only thing that mattered was that his brother was in a good mood after the previous day’s sulking and that was most definitely good and welcome. That moment he thought that maybe his brother would be okay, after all.


	4. Revenge is a Dish Served Cold

The breakfast ended after long hateful looks towards Dean, mostly coming from Kali. The moment Dean said those things to her and Gabriel, was the moment he made a new enemy. Kali didn’t have the chance to talk back to him, because his father and brother came into the room and so, she was just sitting there, stewing in her own juice, waiting for her sweet revenge. 

How dared he? An omega… Michael’s bitch… talk to her like that? How dared Michael give him that much freedom to talk back to them and deride them? There would be hell to pay.

Dean never noticed her hateful looks and he was more than pleased with himself for talking back to those dicks. He was starting to get that it wasn’t only him that they liked to make fun of, but Michael was also one of their favorite taunt victims. He guessed that it was maybe his success that they were jealous of and that’s why they liked to pick on him. 

After taking their breakfast, Dean and Sam finally had a minute to themselves for the first time since they arrived at the mansion. They were outside, walking along the garden, where Chuck had taken Sam and their father the previous day.

“So, are you okay?” asked Sam.

“Why wouldn’t I be okay, Sammy? I’m fine. Stop worrying so much. You’re giving me a headache”, said Dean, looking around at the impressive garden.

“Dean, don’t give me that shit. Yesterday, you were sulking all day and you looked like a deer caught in headlights. It’s about that stupid ceremony, isn’t it?” he asked.

“Look Sam… I don’t want you to worry about these things. Everything is fine”, said Dean.

“Right… sure. What happened between you and Michael last night? Did you sleep with him in his bedroom?” 

“Yeah… I mean, it’s only natural. He’s my mate”, said Dean.

“Not yet, he’s not… I know your smell, Dean. I know you’re still unclaimed and unmated. For someone who doesn’t know you, it’s difficult to tell by your smell, but I can… You know… if you want, you can still run. You don’t have to do this, Dean. We don’t need it… I know that dad thinks that it’s necessary, but it’s really not. We’re all grown up now. There isn’t any danger for us. What could grandpa possibly do? He can’t take us in his clan and away from dad if we don’t want him to. We’re not little children anymore. We can make our own decisions.”

“No, we can’t. You can’t, because you’re not an alpha yet, although it’s obvious that that’s what you'll be. And I most definitely can’t, because I’m an omega. They all keep going on about treating omegas with respect and shit, but you know as well as I do that that’s an illusion. Omegas are at the base of the pyramid. They don’t give a rat’s ass about omegas. The only thing they want them for is to breed them and keep themselves entertained with them. I have a chance here, of being treated with actual respect. Michael is a good guy and he’s not ashamed of me. He truly cares about me and he wouldn’t do anything to hurt me. That’s not what I can say about most alphas”, he said and then sat on a bench in the garden.

Sam was still standing, looking at him intently.  
“Oh yeah? He’s not ashamed? Like, he doesn’t want to change you at all? Is that why he made you wear those stupid clothes and he called you a filthy mechanic yesterday?”

“Sammy, please… He didn’t mean it. The dicks he’s got for brothers got on his nerves and made him angry. That’s why he said it. He apologized to me afterwards. He didn’t mean to say that... And as for the clothes… I asked him to lend me some, because I felt uncomfortable around everyone else in my own clothing. They all dress so damn fancy”, Dean said.

“Yeah, I’m sure you did”, grumbled Sam, not believing him one bit.

“What’s the matter, bitch? Are you questioning your own brother?”

“Well, my own brother is lying to my face, jerk! So yeah, of course I’m questioning him.”

“Sammy… I’m okay. Really… You don’t need to worry. Michael is a good guy and he proved it to me last night.”

“What do you mean?” Sam asked him, confused.

“I went into heat last night. I was salivating all over him, but he didn’t take advantage of it, because he knew that it wasn’t what I really wanted and that it was just the heat talking. He could have easily indulged in his instincts and I would have gladly let him at the time, but he didn’t. He took care of me and this morning he sent someone to buy me suppressants so I could stop the heat. If it was anyone else, he would have fucked me to oblivion… Michael is a decent guy and I trust him. So, you can stop worrying”, he said, looking in his brother’s puppy dog eyes.

“So, you just slept? Nothing happened between the two of you then?” Sam asked.

“Excuse me, Sammy, but aren’t you the one who was talking about knowing my smell and being able to tell if I was mated or not?”

“I meant that I would be able to tell, if there was a final claim. I can’t possibly know if you two had sex or if he knotted you”, said Sam, defensively.

“Well, he didn’t. Although, he had the chance. And as for the final claiming, it won’t be done before the ceremony. That’s when he will claim me. That’s what the whole damn ceremony is about.”

“Do you want to do anything with him, before then?”

“I don’t know… I suppose… I mean, if we don’t have sex before the ceremony, it will be too difficult and awkward for me to do it for the first time in front of everyone. But I guess that I’m still hoping for some miracle, so that it can be cancelled, before it happens. I just wish we could get married like a normal couple, you know… Without all this alpha-omega tradition crap”, Dean said and looked at his hands.

“Yeah, I know. I wish that for you too. If Michael is such a good guy as you say he is, maybe he will listen.”

“I tried talking to him, but… I don’t know… His father is the one that wants this some damn much and I think Michael thinks too highly of his father. He doesn’t want to let him down. He seems so desperate of his approval”, said Dean.

“Like you are… of our father’s. I guess you two have something in common, after all.”

“Don’t be a little bitch, Sammy”, said Dean in a warning tone.

“Whatever, jerk!” said Sam and then paused.  
“What were you all so smug about this morning? I mean, when we came in the dining room with dad?” he asked, curiously. 

Dean burst out laughing.  
“I was smug for shoving it up their ass…” said Dean after a while.

“Meaning?”

“Those dicks and that bitch were all gossiping about me and Michael and they were saying that they didn’t hear any action last night. They saw that dude, Inias I think they said his name was, bringing the suppressants for me up in Michael’s room, but they didn’t know what they were or whom they were for. So, they started saying all these shit about Michael, needing Viagra to get it up… And well, I couldn’t let them keep talking about my mate like that.”

“What did you do?” asked Sam.

Dean laughed again.  
“I told them of the hot night me and Michael had together, when they tried to be smartasses and ask me about it. And then I made fun of Gabriel’s and that bitch’s sex life…” said Dean and started laughing again.  
“You should have seen their faces. I thought she was going to have an aneurysm. It was so funny”, he said and they both started laughing.  
“And then you and dad came in the room, so they didn’t say anything”, he finished.

“Beware of that Kali chick. Now I can see why she was glaring daggers at you at the table. She seemed pretty upset, but I didn’t know it was you who had caused it.”

“Why? What could she possibly do to me? Please Sammy, don’t ruin this for me. I had so much fun making a fool of them. It was so damn funny…” he said and let a final giggle escape his lips.

“You’re such a child”, said Sam and then smiled to his brother.

…Α-Ω…

While this was happening, back in the house, Kali was still furious with Dean. She was in hers and Gabriel’s bedroom with Lilith and Anna and she was pacing it nervously from side to side.

“I mean, can you believe his nerve?” said Kali.

“I think we need to teach that little bitch his place. He needs to get off this high horse of his and fast. He thinks that because he is Michael’s mate, he is in a higher place than us. But he forgets that he is an omega”, said Lilith.

“I think you girls are overreacting. Didn’t you provoke him at all? I mean it sounds quite unlikely of him to start offending you like that. Last night, he looked terrified and he kept his head down at all times”, said Anna, trying to make sense of all this.

“Well, I guess his night of passion with Michael made him start seeing things differently”, said Kali.

“Yeah, but still… Dean seemed like a sweet kid. I don’t think he would offend anyone without a cause. Are you sure you weren’t saying anything about him and Michael before he came to the room? I mean, it’s me you’re talking to. I know you guys do that a lot”, Anna said.

“Oh my God! You’re right! He heard us and then he decided to mess with us. I bet nothing even happened between him and Michael. He just wanted to gloat”, Kali realized.  
“We were talking about not hearing anything coming from their room last night and we were making fun of them and then Gabriel mentioned something weird he saw this morning. Michael sent Inias to a pharmacy store and I saw him bring back something to their room. Then, Lucifer said that it might have been Viagra, because Michael was unable to perform on his own. And that’s when he came in… That little shit!” said Kali.

“Well, there. You have your reason. If you ask me, he had every right to get upset and then try to talk back to you”, said Anna.

“I need to get my hands on that pharmacy bag. I need to see what was inside”, said Kali, already plotting and thinking of her next move.

“Kali, don’t! You can’t be serious. You’re acting like a child”, Anna said.

“I need to know what happened between them. If I find what was inside the bag, I might have the chance to do it and then I’m going to rub it in his face”, she said.

“Well, let’s go to Michael’s bedroom then, to look. He’s still in the library with Zachariah and Dean is outside with his brother. It’s now or never”, said Lilith.

Kali and Lilith both moved carefully to not be seen to Michael’s bedroom and then Anna followed them to prevent them from doing anything stupid.

When they entered, they started looking around the room, until Kali spotted the bag on the nightstand.

“There it is”, she said excitedly and moved to open it. She took out the little box and then turned to the other two.  
“They’re suppressants”, she said confused. She carefully opened the box and then she saw that there were two pills missing.  
“Why would he take suppressants this morning? It doesn’t make any sense. It’s not like it could prevent a pregnancy, if they already had sex”, she said.

Lilith was still looking around the room and then went to the bathroom. After a moment she came back out, holding the sheets, Dean had taken off the bed that morning and also the pajama bottoms he wore the previous night. 

“It’s not a pregnancy he’s trying to prevent, but a heat. He went into heat last night and he took the pills this morning to stop it”, she said, holding up the sheets and the pajamas for them to see.

“Are you serious? Well, that still doesn’t prove, if he slept with Michael or not, though”, said Kali, confused.

“Look, you guys… why don’t you just drop it? You found out what was inside the bag and for whom. Can’t you just let this go?” said Anna.

“No way. I mean, I can’t believe that Michael could possibly control himself and not fucked him, while he was in heat. But we heard nothing, so I can only assume that nothing happened between them”, said Kali.

“I know the perfect way to get revenge on that prick”, said Lilith, an evil smile spreading on her face.

“What is it? How?” asked Kali, suddenly very interested.

“Well, Dean might took the first two pills to keep his heat at bay, but he’s going to have to keep taking them, if he wants his heat not to hit him again until the ceremony has passed”, said Lilith.

“So? What are you suggesting?” asked Kali.

“I suggest we change his suppressant pills with a different kind. Do you remember the pills I was taking last year, when Lucifer and I were trying to conceive? They looked almost exactly like Dean’s suppressants and their purpose was to increase one’s sexual libido. I still have like a whole package of them. If Dean takes them tomorrow morning, not only will his heat hit him full force, but he will act like the horniest of dogs. I mean, we would be doing them a favor. He and Michael seem to have trouble consummating their mating bond”, she said.

“Lilith, what the hell? You can’t be serious. This is really mean. If you do this, then there’s no turning back. He won’t be able to get suppressants again for this heat. He will have to suffer it, even at the time of the ceremony. Please, you can’t do this… If you try, I’m gonna tell Michael”, Anna warned them.

“If you tell him anything about this, we’ll say that you were in on this and then I’d like to see what Michael and your precious Castiel will think of you. You can stay out of it and not participate, if you don’t want to. But don’t you dare say anything. Stop defending that omega bitch”, Lilith warned her back.

“Whatever. I’m out of here”, said Anna, leaving the room, frustrated.

“So, Kali? What do you say?” Lilith asked turning her attention back to her.

“I say, let’s show this bitch who the boss is”, she answered.


	5. All Hell Breaks Loose

The day passed without any other events. Dean spent his whole day with Sam and it was a breath of fresh air for him. His father went with Chuck into town to do some sightseeing and as for Michael, after the meeting with his uncle that finished late at noon, he never left the library. He even asked to bring him food in his office, so that he didn’t have to stop with his work.

Dean took his lunch and dinner with Sam at the kitchen, so that he didn’t have to see the rest of the family. Since Michael was eating at his office, he had no reason to go sit with the rest of them.

So, it was late at night when Michael saw Dean again. When he got to his room, Dean was already in bed and seemed to be asleep. After taking a short shower, he dressed for bed and then got under the bedding, behind Dean.

He hugged him tightly from behind and then buried his nose in Dean’s hair, smelling him deeply.

“Mmm… are you asleep, baby?” he asked Dean.

Dean mumbled a little and then said in a sleepy voice.  
“Hey… you’re here. What time is it?” he said and let his back rest fully on Michael’s chest.

“It’s a quarter past twelve. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you, but I missed you”, he said and kissed the back of his neck.

“That’s okay”, said Dean and turned around in Michael’s arms, so that they could be face to face.  
“Did you finish with your work?” he asked.

“Yeah… I wanted to finish with any pending business, so that I could spend the day with you, tomorrow. If, of course, that’s okay with you”, he said and let his nose touch Dean’s.

“It’s more than okay”, said Dean and left a small kiss on his jaw. 

Michael couldn’t help but smile. It was obvious that Dean was starting to like him back.  
“Were you okay today? Were the suppressants successful? When I woke this morning you were soaked in slick and I tried to get out of the room as fast as I could. Your smell was amazing. I didn’t know if I could control myself”, he said and brought Dean’s body closer to his.

“Mmm… yeah… I know. But as you can see, the suppressants worked just fine, but I’ll have to keep taking them, if I don’t want my heat to come back to the surface. After the ceremony, I’ll stop taking them and my heat will come naturally”, he said and then buried his face in the crook of Michael’s neck.

“Dean?” Michael asked him, hesitantly.

“Yeah?” said Dean and Michael felt his breath on his neck.

“Do you think that, perhaps tomorrow…, we could…?” he started, but Dean surprised him with a kiss on his lips. Their very first one.

“Yeah… I’d like that… I think I’m ready… I mean, I trust you enough to let you fuck me”, he said and gave him another kiss, this time adding his tongue to the equation.

Michael deepened the kiss and then dragged Dean on top of him. Dean kissed him back just as passionately and willingly and after a few minutes of making out thoroughly with his mate, he let himself relax on the other man’s body. Michael positioned his legs a little apart from one another, so that Dean could be more comfortable between them and then kissed the top of his head.

“Goodnight, baby”, he said. A smile playing on his lips.

“Goodnight”, said Dean and then kissed Michael’s exposed chest, letting his head lie on top of it, afterwards. 

It wasn’t long before they were both asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms and legs, sharing their body heat. It was only two days that Dean had come to the Novak’s family home and Michael had already gained his trust. It felt good to know that he could count on someone around here and especially since this someone was his mate. If he had Michael on his side, he knew that he could handle the dicks his mate had for brothers. They couldn’t do anything to hurt him. Michael would protect him. He was sure of it now.

…Α-Ω…

When Dean woke up the next morning, Michael was still sound asleep next to him. He was lying with his face down on the mattress and his black hair looked like a total mess. It was the first time he saw him so vulnerable and simple. He liked this side of him. It was a side that only he got to see. Last night he told him that he wanted them to try and have sex today. Now, that he was seeing him like that, he was even surer of his decision. He decided to have a shower, while Michael was still sleeping and got out of bed to head to the bathroom. Before he managed to reach the bathroom door, however, he heard his phone buzzing at his nightstand and moved quickly to pick it up, because he was afraid that it would wake up Michael.

The name of his friend Jo appeared on the screen and Dean quickly picked it up to stop the buzzing. 

“Hey, Jo. Give me a second, will you?” he said in a low voice to not wake Michael up. Before he moved to go to the bathroom to speak to her, he noticed his suppressants on the nightstand and decided to take them with him.

Once he was inside and the door was securely closed behind him, he spoke up again.

“Hey girl! How are you doing?” he said, placing the suppressants next to the washbasin.

“Oh you know me… I missed my best friend. What was that all about? Why were you being quiet before? Was Sam sleeping with you in the room?” she asked.

“Uhm… no. It was my mate, Michael”, said Dean, feeling his cheeks turning red.

“You dog! I can’t believe it. You mean you’re already sleeping in the same bed with that dreamy alpha of yours?” she asked, sounding excited at the other end of the line.  
“So, how is he in the sack?” she asked.

“We haven’t had sex yet. I don’t know…” said Dean, filling a glass with water.

“What are you waiting for? If I were you, I wouldn’t let that sweet piece of ass escape my teeth. He is so gorgeous… I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off him”, she said. Dean could picture her salivating all over his mate.

“Hey there, missy! Stop talking about my mate like that… and keep your damn teeth away from his ass”, he said, sounding a little serious.

“My my… when did you get so possessive?” she asked.

“I’ve always been possessive of my things, you just never happened to threaten any of them to know it”, he said. 

He had his phone between his shoulder and his ear for support, while opening the box of suppressants with his hands. When he did, and saw the pills, they seemed a little weird to him, but he figured it was just his idea, so he quickly took two of them out of the package and swallowed them along with some water.

“Okay, don’t get like that! I was just kidding… So, you’re okay, then? Benny told me that you were anxious and a bit terrified the night before your trip”, she said.

“Yeah, I’m good”, he said, holding his phone again with his hand and leaning on the counter of the washbasin.  
“I mean, Michael… he’s a good guy. I trust him… I didn’t know what he was like, but now I’m okay with him being my mate. It turned out to be okay… When I talked to Benny, I didn’t know what I was going to face… But now everything is good…” he said, meaning every word.

“Yeah, I heard. I’m afraid that if I were there with you, you would have clawed my eyes out, when I spoke of him”, she said, teasingly. 

Dean snorted.  
“Well, you would have had it coming”, he said and paused.  
“Will you come too at the ceremony, with Benny?” he asked hopefully. He really needed his friends for support.

“You know it, babe. Me, Benny, Ash and Charlie will most definitely be there for you. We wouldn’t let you go through this all on your own. Besides, it will be our last chance to see you before you head to New York”, she said.

Dean’s heart dropped, when he realized that he wouldn’t have his friends in New York.  
“Yeah… you’re right…” he said. Jo could hear the sadness in his voice.

“Hey, don’t tell Benny I told you this, but there is a teeny tiny possibility that the gang will be reunited at New York”, she said.

“What do you mean?” he said, sounding hopeful all of the sudden.

“Well, we didn’t tell you, but Ash got a scholarship for the University of New York for Computer Science and so did Charlie for the University of Rochester. I and Benny are both planning on looking for a job in New York too. Three of our best friends are moving there. What else could we do?” she said.

“Oh my God! Are you serious?” He said, fully excited.

“Yes, I’m serious… What did you think? That we would leave you all alone in the big city? We were planning on telling at your wedding, but I couldn’t stand the sadness in your voice”, Jo said. 

“I love you guys… you can’t imagine how happy this makes me. Sammy and dad are coming to New York too, but I thought I’d never see you guys again”, he said.

“What the hell, Winchester? Even if we weren’t coming permanently, how could you think that we wouldn’t come to visit you? Don’t be silly! Anyway, that’s the news from me… We’ll see you soon, babe. Be safe…” she said.

“Bye, Jo! See you soon…” Dean said and then hang up the phone. 

He turned around and put his phone on the counter and then he looked himself in the mirror.  
“It’s okay Dean… You’re gonna be okay!” he said and sighed.

After getting rid of his clothes, he stepped in the shower and turned on the water, adjusting it at a hot temperature. He really needed to relax, but soon the temperature in the shower got insufferable. He quickly turned the water to cold and tried to cool his body a little, but that didn’t seem to work either.  
“What the hell?” he said.

It wasn’t long, before he felt slick starting to drip from his ass.  
“God!” he said and braced himself on the tile wall.

His body felt like it was on fire. Without any reason whatsoever he felt his dick hardening fast and he let out a moan.

“What’s wrong with me?” he said.

He quickly turned off the water in the shower, stepping outside and supporting himself up at the edge of the counter. He raised his head again to look in the mirror and saw his eyes blown wide. He knew what the cause was. They were blown wide with lust. His heart was hammering inside his chest and he could feel his legs giving out under him. A new wave of slick dripped from his ass and he felt himself getting dizzy. With all the power he had, he managed to get out of the room and then walk towards the bed, where Michael was still sleeping, oblivious to everything that was happening.

He dropped himself, completely naked, on the bed and made the mattress shift violently, causing Michael to wake up.

“Dean?” he said in a sleepy voice, but before he had the chance to realize what the hell was going on, the smell of Dean’s slick hit him hard and his eyes opened wide.  
“Baby?” he said, wide awake now, noticing Dean’s naked body.  
“What happened?” he said and then Dean launched himself to him.

“I need you”, said Dean and started kissing him desperately. He quickly dragged the bedding that Michael was covered with away and dropped them on the floor. 

“Get your underwear off, baby”, said Dean after exploring Michael’s body with his hands, never stopping kissing him everywhere.  
“I can’t… I need you right now. I need you to fuck me, knot me, breed me and claim me”, he said and ground his hips hard on Michael’s, making the other man moan deeply.

“Dean, you’re not yourself… What’s wrong with you? Is your heat back? I thought you said the suppressants worked”, he said, but Dean shut him up, shoving his tongue inside his mouth.

“I don’t care… I need you to fuck me. I need it” said Dean and dragged Michael’s underwear forcibly down his legs.

“Okay… okay… relax, baby. I got you…” said Michael, but before he had the chance to do anything, Dean took a hold of his penis and started stroking it with fast movements.

“Oh God!” screamed Michael in pleasure. It wasn’t long before he was fully hard and Dean stopped stroking him. Michael then looked up at him in question, but before he had the chance to say anything, Dean positioned his hole over the head of Michael’s dick and sank down on it without giving it any time to adjust.

Michael’s eyes opened comically wide and then Dean started fucking himself fast and hard on Michael’s cock. They were both moaning loudly and Michael was certain that everyone in the house could hear them, but Dean didn’t seem to care and all Michael wanted was to keep his omega happy, so he gave in to the pleasure, holding nothing back. 

The room was filled with the wet sound of skin slapping on skin and the delicious moans that were coming from the both of them and it was only two minutes later that Dean was emptying himself on Michael’s stomach and chest, coming completely untouched. That didn’t seem to stop him from keeping the same rhythm, though. He continued fucking himself relentlessly on his mate’s cock and Michael could still feel Dean’s hole clenching and unclenching around his member, causing him, unimaginable pleasure. 

“Oh, God… Dean!” screamed Michael. 

Despite the fact that Dean had just came, he soon became fully hard again and Michael looked up at him in awe. ‘How is this possible?’, he thought and the moment that thought crossed his mind, he decided to change their positions and he maneuvered Dean on his back, lying down against the mattress, right under him. He then positioned himself again and started fucking him, instead of the other way around, trying to please his mate as best as he could.

Dean started screaming and moaning in pleasure and it wasn’t long before a second wave of cum was let out of him, painting both of their stomachs in strips. 

“Baby… mmm...” said Michael, in between deep breaths.

“Faster Michael… go faster”, screamed Dean and Michael obeyed, starting to fuck him hard and fast and hitting his prostate with almost every thrust. Another five minutes and Dean was coming again.

“What? How are you doing this? Aren’t you spent already?” Michael asked him, breathing heavily.

“I’m in heat, baby… it’s only natural”, said Dean and urged him to continue fucking him.

“No, it’s not… I’ve never seen anything like it… Your libido seems to have no limits… You keep coming and coming and… oh god”, he screamed.  
“Be glad that I haven’t come yet, because I wouldn’t be able to keep up with you…” he continued.

“Let’s change positions again”, said Dean, breathing hard.  
“I’m not feeling this one anymore...” he said and let Michael’s dick slip out of him so that he could get up to his knees. Michael moved behind him and then started fucking him harder and faster than before, causing Dean to scream again in pleasure and empty himself after a minute or so on the bed and on his stomach.

“Oh God, Dean… I’m so close”, said Michael. The feeling of Dean’s hole clenching and unclenching around him, driving him crazy once more. At the sound of his words Dean started pushing back on his lover’s cock and not five minutes later, they were both coming hard and Michael’s knot started swelling inside Dean’s ass, locking them both together.

They both fell exhausted on the bed. Michael holding Dean close to his body and Dean still moving a little back and forward.

“Sshh…” said Michael, immobilizing him.  
“Relax baby… try to sleep. You’re exhausting yourself. You need to calm down”, he said and Dean tried to obey his words.

“I’m sorry… I still feel so horny… I don’t know what’s wrong. My last heat was nothing like this one…” said Dean.

“Don’t worry, babe… We might have to call a doctor later if this keeps up. Now try to sleep, ‘cause my knot won't be going down for a while…” Michael said and kissed the back of his neck.

“Okay”, said Dean and let himself drift back to sleep.

Michael was left contemplating the reasons that Dean went into heat, besides the fact that he was taking suppressants. Moreover, his mate’s endless libido and his successive loads of cum, made him worry about how normal all this was and he was seriously considering calling the family’s doctor, like he told Dean he would, even if Dean was okay, when he woke up again. The only good thing that came out of all this was that they finally managed to consummate their mating bond, but if it meant that Dean wasn’t well in his health, Michael would have preferred that they never had. No… He shouldn’t think like that. Dean was okay. His mate would be okay.


	6. Tell the World, I'm Coming Home

Castiel stood outside the front door of his family home and fixed his tie. When he spoke on the phone with Anna the previous night, he didn’t tell her that he was coming home today. He wanted to surprise her and so he kept it a secret. He hadn’t seen her for over a week and he had really missed her.

After making sure his clothes were in order, he pushed the doorbell button with determination. A minute later, the door was opened and Castiel came face to face with his wife.

“Cas!” she said, her eyes looking like they were about to tear up.  
“You’re here…” she said and launched forward to hug him. The moment she reached him, she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

“Hey… hey… what’s the matter? Did you really miss me so much?” he said smiling.

“You have no idea!” she said and then looked up at him.  
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming today? I thought I wouldn’t see you until tomorrow and it was torture”, she said, while pouting.

“I guess I thought you would be happier, if I surprised you and the happiness would erase all the sulking. So, was I wrong?” he asked.

“No, you weren’t. I love you so much, my angel”, she said and then kissed him sweetly on his lips.

After they stopped kissing, Castiel picked up the only piece of luggage he had brought with him and they both entered the house. The moment the door was closed behind them, he started hearing some weird sounds. It sounded like someone was… moaning?

“Where is that sound coming from?” he asked, confused.

He looked over at the living room where his brothers and their wives were sitting and except for Kali who looked really uncomfortable or even pissed, the rest of them were trying to keep themselves from laughing.

“Cassie? Is that you?” came Gabriel’s voice, when he noticed him standing by the door.

Castiel stepped inside the room then and his brother went immediately to hug him.  
“I didn’t know you were coming today. You came for the show?” he said and raised his brow suggestively.

“What show? What is that sound?” he asked, but before he had a chance to get an answer, he heard someone screaming in pleasure from somewhere inside the house.

“OH GOD!” came the voice.

“Was that… was that Michael?” he asked, his eyes growing comically wide.

“Uh yeah… Our brother has been on about it for some time now with his mate and they don’t seem to care that there are other people in the house. I’m sure that when you entered the house, you thought you were coming in a brothel”, said Gabriel and smirked.

“Really? Michael? The guy who all he cares about is his image and what people will think of him? This is so unlike him”, commented Castiel.

“Yeah, well, people change… and if you saw the hot piece of ass that our brother Mikey is fucking upstairs right now, you wouldn’t blame him. Maybe having an omega as a mate equals better sex… Who knows? I never had one…” said Gabriel and Kali immediately stood up.

“And you never will… That little bitch has Michael wrapped around his little finger. That’s what I know… He had him before they even had sex… Now it’s going to be insufferable”, she said.

“Really, Kali? Are you seriously complaining about the bond that might form between them after having sex? Really? You of all people?” said Anna.

“What is she talking about? What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Gabriel confused.

“Nothing… I don’t know what the hell she’s going on about”, said Kali and glared at her.

“Did we miss something?” asked Gabriel.

“No, baby...” started Kali, but stopped talking, when a loud moan came from upstairs.

“OH GOD! DEAN…” came Michael’s voice.

“Well, they must really like each other”, commented Castiel.  
“Where is everyone else?” he asked then, when he saw only Lucifer and Lilith sitting in the living room, apart from them.

“Well, when the show started they were all scattered. Dean’s father and brother immediately ran for the exit… I have no idea where they went… and dad and uncle Zachariah, who was also here, went to see the greenhouse”, Gabriel said.

“Oh God! You should have seen Dean’s father’s face… it was so funny. I thought he was having a stroke! His face was red from embarrassment and his eyes were ready to pop out of their sockets”, said Lucifer and started laughing hysterically along with Lilith.

“Don’t be an assbutt, Lucifer”, said Castiel.  
“This isn’t funny…” he went on.

“Not funny? I think it’s hilarious”, he said and continued laughing.  
“I also think that our brother and Dean scarred Dean’s little brother for life. The expression on his face was also priceless…” said Lucifer.

“How long has this been going on about?” Castiel asked.

“I don’t know. They might be going for some sort of record”, said Gabriel.

“FASTER MICHAEL… GO FASTER!” came Dean’s voice.

“Wow…” started Lilith.  
“He’s really classy, that one…” she said.

Castiel looked really uncomfortable then and Gabriel noticed.  
“What’s the matter, Cassie?” he asked.

“I don’t know. That voice… Don’t mind me… It’s nothing”, he said and went to sit on the couch with Anna.

After a few minutes of silence from them and the sound of moaning from upstairs, everything went completely silent again.

“Do you think it’s over?” said Gabriel, looking around.

“Well, I hope so. I got tired just by listening to them. Shouldn’t they be exhausted by now? I take back what I said about Michael needing Viagra… he obviously has some serious endurance. Unless it’s because he took Viagra”, said Lucifer and smirked.

“Yeah… they must be done. I don’t hear anything. They must be sleeping…” said Gabriel and then spared a look at Castiel, who was looking uncomfortably at his hands. Something was definitely wrong with him, but he had to wait and ask him again, when it was just the two of them, without anyone else.

…Α-Ω…

When Dean woke up again, it was noon. He could feel that his body was still on fire and that it was filled with sweat and slick. The bed underneath him was also soaked in it. The only thing that kept him a little calm right now was the fact that he could feel Michael’s body right next to his own. Michael was still holding him close and it was obvious that he too was awake, because he was drawing abstract patterns with his fingers on Dean’s stomach, while he had him in his arms.

Michael had been awake for a long time now, because his worry about Dean wouldn’t let him sleep and the moment Dean woke up again, he immediately felt it.

“Dean?” he said in a low voice.  
“Are you okay, baby?” 

“Mmm… I’m so hot… Why is it still so hot?” he said and absently pushed his ass on Michael’s front.

“Hey… hey… relax”, Michael told him.  
“You need to cool off and rehydrate. Can you get up, so that we can go to the bathroom and have a cold shower? I think you might be running a fever… your skin is burning hot. The moment we shower, I’m calling the doctor. Something is definitely wrong”, he said and kissed Dean's sweat soaked hair.

“Okay”, said Dean and tried to get up, but immediately fell down on the bed, his strength deserting him.

“Give me a minute, I’m afraid I’ll have to carry you. You’re too weak”, said Michael and got up from the bed.

He quickly went inside the bathroom and decided to fill the tub with cold water, because Dean wouldn’t be able to stand to use the shower. When he got back outside, Dean was in a state of delirium.

“Dean?” said Michael and ran to his side.  
“Hey… hey… wake up…” he said, when he saw Dean was unresponsive except for the continuous mumbling.

Michael gathered Dean in his arms then and lifted him off the bed. Holding him close to his chest, he carried him to the bathroom and carefully placed his body inside the tub. Getting in himself, he placed Dean between his legs so that his back and head were resting on his chest. He, next, started washing him with cold water, pouring a generous amount on his hair and face, trying his best to bring down the fever. 

Dean was still delirious, though, and nothing Michael did seemed to make any difference.

“Dean, baby? What the hell! Damn it… I need to call the doctor right now”, he said and carefully got out of the tub, still supporting Dean with one hand and then making him sit more upright so that he wouldn’t drown. When he was certain that Dean could stand on his own in the bathtub, he ran to the bedroom and retrieved his phone to call the family doctor, Joshua. When he got his phone, he didn’t waste any time and ran back to the bathroom to make sure that Dean was still okay. Running to his side, he found the doctor’s number on his phone and called him.

After two rings, the call was answered.  
“Dr. Smith’s office! How can I help you?” came a woman’s voice.

“Hi! This is Michael Novak calling for Dr. Smith. Can I please talk to him? It’s very urgent”, he said, looking over at Dean and starting to stroke his hair with his other hand, getting them off his forehead.

“Of course, Mr. Novak. Give me one second, please. I’m connecting you with Dr. Smith”, said the woman. 

A few moments later Joshua picked up the phone.  
“Michael? What’s the matter? Did something happen to your father?” came Joshua’s worried voice from the phone.

“No, Joshua… My father is fine, but something is terribly wrong with my mate. I need you to come here immediately. He went into heat this morning, but he’s getting worse and worse. He has a fever and he’s delirious… I don’t know what’s wrong with him. I’m so scared”, Michael said, the panic obvious in his voice.

“Alright, please stay calm. I’m coming right now. Try and bathe him with cold water to bring down the fever, until I get there”, he said.

“I’m already doing that, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference. Please, hurry!” said Michael.

“Okay, don’t panic. I’ll be there shortly”, he said and hang up the phone.

“Dean, baby… please be okay! Please… you have to get well…” he said and kissed him on the lips. He then stood up and took a towel to dry himself. Quickly, he ran back to his room and picked as fast as he could a pair of briefs, some sweatpants and a t-shirt and then came back to the bathroom. He gave a quick glance at Dean to make sure he was still standing and breathing and he began dressing. When he was done, he ran back to Dean’s side and started washing his face again with cold water.

Dean’s eyes started moving again and then he opened them for the first time after a while.  
“Dean? Are you okay? How are you feeling? Do you need to drink some water?” Michael asked in a panicked voice.

“Yeah… I’m so thirsty”, said Dean in a low and tired voice.

“Okay… give me one second”, said Michael and then moved to fill a glass with water from the tap of the washbasin. He then came back to Dean and placed the glass on his lips.

“Drink up, baby”, he said and Dean obeyed, drinking the water greedily.  
“Do you feel any better?” he said and stroked his cheek, after Dean had emptied the whole glass. 

“Yeah… I guess. I just feel so tired, so drained…” he said and his eyes started to shut.

“Hey… wait, don’t sleep… The doctor is coming to see you. I need to know you’re okay, until he gets here and it terrifies me when you’re unconscious”, he said and kissed him on his forehead.  
“Can you please stay awake for me?” he said.

“Yeah… okay… for a little while… no… promises…” said Dean in a sleepy voice.

“God! What the hell happened to you? How did this happen? I don’t understand…” Michael said and sighed.  
“Can you please stay awake at least for a little while, so that I can call someone to make the bed for you to lie down afterwards?” he said.

“Yeah… I’ll be okay… go!” said Dean in a tired voice.

Michael didn’t need to be told twice and ran back to the room and opened the door. 

“Rachel? Inias? I need someone in here, right now…” he yelled.

A few seconds later, Rachel and Inias, both appeared at the door.  
“Please change the sheets on the bed, quickly”, he said, addressing to Rachel.

“Yes, sir!” she said and ran to the bed to do as she was asked.

“Inias, please, come with me… Dean is unwell. I need your help” Michael said and moved quickly to the bathroom, Inias following right behind him.

When he stepped into the room, Dean was still awake to his relief.  
“Dean, baby? We’re gonna get you out and take you to bed, okay?” he said and moved right next to his mate.

“Okay”, said Dean, all strength absent from his voice and body.

“Inias, please get that robe over there and hold it, so we can dress Dean with it…” he said, turning his attention back to Inias and pointing at a bathrobe that was hanging on a hanger at the wall.

“Yes, sir”, answered Inias and went to get the robe.

Michael then placed his hands under Dean’s armpits and lifted him off the bathtub. Dean, with no strength left to his body, just leaned boneless to Michael’s body, making the other man’s clothes a mess. Michael placed his arms securely around Dean’s waist and dragged him completely out of the bathtub. 

“Inias, now… come here and help me dress him”, said Michael and Inias moved behind Dean and took first his right arm and then the other and pushed them inside the sleeves of the bathrobe. Dean was still leaning completely on Michael’s body and the only moment their bodies stopped touching was when Michael instructed Inias to hold him, so that he could fasten the robe at Dean’s front. When Michael was done, Dean felt strong arms lifting him off the ground and found himself in Michael’s embrace, being carried, bridal style, back to the bedroom.

“Rachel, are you done?” Michael asked, still carrying Dean in his arms.

“Yes, sir… you can place him on the bed. It’s ready”, she said, pointing at the bed.

Michael moved then towards the bed and laid Dean carefully on top of the covers.  
“Guys, you can go now. I’m expecting Dr. Smith to be here shortly. When he arrives, send him straight here”, he instructed.

“Yes, sir!” they said in unison and left the room, closing the door behind them. 

“Baby? Are you feeling any better?” he asked in a worried voice.

“Yeah… I feel a little better… Hey, look at you. I made a mess of your clothes… At least, it wasn’t a suit”, he said and smiled tiredly.

“I don’t care about the clothes, Dean… All I care about is you…” Michael said and stroked his cheek.

“Can I ask you a favor?” said Dean.

“Of course, baby… anything you want. Tell me and I’ll do it”, he said, bringing Dean’s left hand to his mouth and kissing it tenderly.

“Can you come and lie down next to me? I need you to hold me…” said Dean.

“Of course I can”, said Michael and leaned in to kiss his lips. He then moved at the other side of the bed and lied next to Dean, drawing him close to his body and holding him in his arms.

Dean just buried his face in the crook of Michael’s neck and breathed in his smell, immediately feeling more relaxed.

“I love your smell”, he said, feeling content in Michael’s arms.

“I love yours too…” said Michael and paused.  
“I love you, period…” he said and kissed Dean’s hair. He felt Dean smile on his neck.  
“You’re my life now… my home! There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than here with you, holding you in my arms”, he finished.

“I know the feeling”, said Dean and buried his face even deeper in Michael’s neck, getting more comfortable and letting a content sigh.

Dean had managed to become irreplaceable to Michael in only less than three days. This moment, Michael couldn’t picture his life ever again without Dean in it. Dean was to him exactly what he said… he was his home!


	7. What's Up, Doc?

It was twenty minutes later that the doctor arrived at the house. When Gabriel and the rest saw him, they immediately stood up from where they were sitting in the living room and went to him to see the reason of his visit. They had heard Michael calling Rachel and Inias, but they never asked them what Michael wanted them for and they had no idea of Dean’s condition.

“Joshua? Why are you here?” asked Gabriel, confused.  
“Are you just visiting or did someone ask you to come?” he said.

“Michael called me. I need to see his mate right away. He called me and said that he was sick. Where is he?” he said, urgently.

“Dean is sick?” asked Lucifer.  
They all started looking confused or worried around the room. Anna was glaring at Kali and Lilith, who were looking at each other, like they were trying to secretly communicate. Castiel noticed his wife glaring at the two women, but said nothing.

“I don’t know what his name is, but I need to go see him right away. Michael said that he was burning up with fever”, Joshua said.

“Oh my God!” said Gabriel.  
“Of course, come right this way. Follow me…” he said and then moved quickly towards the stairs.

When Gabriel and Joshua were out of sight, Castiel spoke again.  
“I hope it’s nothing serious. I mean, how bad can it be? Weren’t they having sex a few hours back?” he said.

“Well, I guess Dean over enjoyed himself!” said Lucifer and smirked.

“Lucifer, don’t be an ass. The poor guy is sick!” Castiel said.

“What? I didn’t say anything…”

Castiel rolled his eyes and then turned to look at his wife.  
“Anna? Can I talk to you for a minute?” he said.  
Anna looked white as a sheet. It was obvious that there was something wrong with her. Both Kali and Lilith gave her warning looks, but Anna just nodded to her husband and followed him out of the room.

…Α-Ω…

“It’s over here doctor”, came Gabriel’s voice from outside the room.

Then there was a knock on the door.  
“Michael? Joshua is here to see Dean!” said Gabriel.

“Come in”, Michael answered.

Both Gabriel and Joshua came into the room then and found Dean trembling under the covers in Michael’s arms. Joshua ran to Dean’s side of the bed to see what the matter was and Gabriel stood frozen at the foot of the bed, looking at the scene in front of him. 

“Michael, what happened? Did you manage to lower his temperature?” he asked, moving the back of his hand to Dean’s forehead to check if he still had fever.

“Yes, but he keeps getting hot and then cold… I don’t know what’s wrong with him. Five minutes ago, he was sweating like he had just ran a marathon and then he started trembling and feeling cold”, he said, while Dean gripped him tighter and cuddled closer to his body.

Joshua uncovered Dean then and moved the robe Dean was wearing a little to the side.

“Well, it’s obvious that he’s in heat like you said. He is soaked in slick, but this behavior is most certainly curious. Is he taking any medication?” asked Joshua.

Dean had started trembling uncontrollably in Michael’s arms and Michael pulled him closer to his body and tried to warm him up by rubbing his back with his hands.

“Except for the suppressants we bought for him yesterday, no… I don’t think he’s on any different medication.”

“He’s taking suppressants? If he’s taking suppressants, why is he in heat? Did you check the expiring date on the box? What kind of suppressants did you buy?” asked Joshua.

“I don’t know. I didn’t buy them myself. I sent one of our servants to go get them. Dean went into heat two nights ago and I sent our servant, Inias, yesterday morning to get him some suppressants. Yesterday, all day, he was fine and the suppressants seemed to have worked, but then when I woke up this morning, he was in heat again and he was acting all kinds of needy…” said Michael.

Joshua gave him an interested look and urged him to continue.  
“We had sex and he kept on coming every few minutes. He must have come like four to five times or something and he didn’t want to stop when I came myself. Then I managed to calm him down and he fell asleep and when he woke up again, he was running a fever and he became delirious. I bathed him in cold water, but his fever only came down a long time later. Do you have any idea what might be wrong with him?” asked Michael and then kissed Dean’s hair, trying to make him relax.

“I need to examine him first to give you an opinion, but I also want to see those suppressants you said you got for him. Where are they?” said Joshua.

“I think I saw them earlier in the bathroom. Gabriel, would you mind getting them?” asked Michael, turning to see his brother.

“Of course not. I’ll go right away”, said Gabriel, looking worried before he left the room.

“Do you really think it could be because of the pills?” asked Michael.

“Look, I’ve only seen this kind of behavior once in my whole career, but this might be something completely different. I mean it couldn’t possibly be the same.”

“What was the case?” Michael asked, worried.

Joshua sighed deeply, before he spoke.  
“It was an omega girl, who worked in a brothel. They had her on some pills, against her will, that were meant to increase her sexual libido and when she was in heat, she would turn rabid for sex. It was terrifying, really. When they brought her to me, she was almost dead. Her heart had stopped twice on the way to the hospital, where I was working at the time, and both times they managed to bring her back with CPR. The thing is that those pills aren’t meant for omegas and especially when they are in heat. Pills like that are only used in cases of alpha, more often, or beta women, who are unable to conceive. Omegas are more blessed when it comes to fertility and sexual appetite and taking a pill like that can be catastrophic for them. It can even lead to death”, said Joshua.

“What happened to that omega girl?” asked Michael, holding Dean a little tighter to his body.

“She was in dire need of a surgery, when she finally arrived at the hospital, but when we tried to operate on her, her heart wasn’t strong enough and it gave out. This third time, we couldn’t bring her back. She died…” he finished and noticed the terrified look on Michael’s face.  
“Don’t worry Michael. That can’t be what’s wrong with your mate. I just want to see the pills to make sure they’re not expired. Perhaps Dean took more than he had to take and it affected him, but I’m sure it’s nothing serious. In any case, we’ll have to run some tests, take a blood and urine sample, to be perfectly certain of what caused this or what the problem might be. I’ll need to put an IV on him to rehydrate him, because he’s been losing a lot of fluids and it’s not good for him. I’m sure he’ll be good in no time. Don’t worry…”

“Easy for you to say… I’m still terrified”, said Michael and then kissed Dean’s forehead again.

“I have them right here”, said Gabriel, when he entered the room again.

“Let me see them”, said Joshua and took them in his hand.

“Yes, I know this brand. It’s the top of the kind, actually, and as I see here, it’s most certainly not expired. Let’s see how many pills Dean has taken. You said he started it yesterday? Did he take any today?” he asked Michael.

“I guess… I don’t know. If he did, he must have taken them, before I woke up this morning. I know for a fact that he took them yesterday”, said Michael.

Joshua opened the box to look inside and then his eyes widened.

“Is something wrong? Are there more pills missing than they should?” asked Michael, concerned.

“Uhm… who did you say brought these to Dean?” said Joshua.

“Our servant, Inias… why?” Michael asked.

“Michael… in this box there are no suppressants. Someone has changed the suppressants with a different kind of pills… The kind that I was talking to you about, earlier”, he said. 

“What are you talking about?” said Michael, starting to get furious. He let go of Dean, who had drifted back to sleep, covered him with the bedding and got up from the bed. When he reached Joshua he snatched the box from his hands and looked at it.  
“What do you mean someone changed them? Are you saying that Inias…?” started Michael, crushing the box in his hand.

“I’m not accusing anyone in particular here, Michael. I’m only saying that someone altered the pills. I don’t know who that might be”, said Joshua.

“Whoever it was, I’m going to kill them”, said Michael in a menacing voice and then turned to see if he had woken Dean up.

“Joshua, please… take care of him… I have to go”, he said and then turned to face Gabriel, who looked absolutely shocked.  
“Gabriel, come with me… Someone’s gonna regret the day they were born, tonight”, he said and left the room with Gabriel, closing the door behind him.


	8. The Ugly Truth

The moment he and Anna stepped inside the library, Castiel shut the door. Then, he turned to look at Anna, who had a frightened expression on her face.

“Anna? What the hell is going on? Is there something that you wish to tell me?” he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“I… I…” she started and then dropped in a chair and started crying.

Castiel ran to her side immediately and took her in his arms.  
“Hey… hey… don’t cry! What’s wrong baby? What happened?” he said and brushed her hair away from her face with his fingers.

“Dean… he’s sick and it’s my fault”, she said and felt Castiel stiffen next to her.

“What do you mean it’s your fault? How could this possibly be your fault?” he asked her.

“I knew something like this could happen and I didn’t do anything to stop it”, she explained.

“You knew what, exactly? What are you talking about?” 

“Dean had a beef with Kali yesterday. Gabriel, Lucifer and Kali were making fun of him and Michael and Dean heard them and then talked back to her and Gabriel, making fun of their sex life, as I gathered. Anyway, Kali got pissed and then she and Lilith were trying to find a way and make him pay…” she said.

“Oh God! What did they do?” asked Castiel with wide eyes, while gripping his hair and taking a step back.

“They changed Dean’s suppressant pills with the ones Lilith was taking, when she was trying to conceive, last year. The ones that increase a person’s sexual libido”, she finished.

“And you knew? And you didn’t say anything? How could you? Are you insane? I can’t believe this. Why didn’t you warn Dean or Michael?” he asked her, furious. 

“I know I should have, but… I’m an idiot and I’m a jerk and I only think about myself… Lilith threatened to blame me too for it, if I spoke… and I didn’t… I didn’t think it would be this serious. I didn’t think that Dean would get sick”, she said and started crying again.

“You didn’t think… you didn’t think! You’re an irresponsible little child, you know that, Anna? I can’t believe you… How could you? From those two I expect everything, but from you? I don’t even recognize you anymore… I’m so pissed at you right now… I wanted so much to come and see you and now you’re compelling me to be pissed at you…” he said, angrily.

“I’m sorry Cas… I didn’t mean for this to happen”, she said, while tears were running down her cheeks.

“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to, Anna… You need to go and tell Michael right now, before Dean gets worse. Have at least the decency to do that… You didn’t do anything to prevent it from happening and for the most stupid reason, by the way… Like me or Michael would ever believe anything that came from their mouths, instead of believing you… At least tell the truth now, so that they can do something to make Dean feel better.”

“I know… I will… I promise!” she said.

…Α-Ω…

It was only when Michael and Gabriel came down the stairs that Cas and Anna finally got out of the library. Anna’s eyes were still puffy from crying, but she had managed to compose herself. One look at Michael’s furious eyes, though, had her trembling all over again with fear.

“I need everyone to come in the living room right now!” said Michael, loudly.  
“Inias, Rachel and the rest of the staff… I need you in here too”, he said.

Kali and Lilith exchanged a worried look, but said nothing. Lilith went to sit by Lucifer’s side on the couch, fearing that Michael had managed to figure out what she and Kali had done, somehow.

“You want us to call the rest of the household too? Father, Zachariah and Dean’s family?” Lucifer asked, looking curious of his brother’s sudden outbreak. 

“No, that won’t be necessary”, said Michael in a cold tone.  
“Because, I don’t think that father, uncle Zachariah and more importantly, Dean’s family would ever try to poison Dean”, he said, glaring daggers at everyone in the room.

Castiel turned to look at Anna, who was staring at her hands in her lap.  
“Michael…” he started.

“Not now… Please Castiel, don’t interrupt me. I’m sorry that I’m seeing you again under these circumstances, but please stay out of it. The only person I’m sure that had nothing to do with this, is you… and only because you weren’t here”, he said and turned to the rest of them.

“Do any of you recognize this box?” asked Michael, lifting up the package with Dean’s suppressants.  
“Inias? I believe it was you that I sent to buy it… Am I wrong?” he asked, turning his cold gaze on Inias.

“No, sir. You’re not wrong. I went to the pharmacy store, yesterday morning and asked for the best suppressants that they had… and they gave me these. They said they were very effective and the best that are out in the market. So, I bought them… Is something wrong with them, sir? Don’t tell me they’re what caused your mate to get sick?” he asked with eyes filled with remorse and fear.

Michael just looked in Inias eyes, without saying anything and then turned to the rest of them. He was sure that Inias couldn’t have known.  
“You see… Inias”, he started without looking at him and staring at the rest.  
“The weirdest thing happened. You see, Dean took the pills you got for him yesterday and he was just fine… but when he took them again this morning, he immediately got sick”, he said and turned back to Inias.

“Don’t worry… It weren’t the pills you got that made him sick… but someone in this room thought that it would be a good idea to mess with Dean and change his pills with a different kind… and then Dean…” he said and shut his eyes tightly, trying to calm himself.

“Who the hell was it? Come forward right now, because I swear to God, if you don’t and then I find out who it was, on my own, it will be much worse for you… Lucifer, was it you? Do you really hate me so much that you would try and kill my mate?” he said in a furious tone.

“What the hell? It wasn’t me, okay? This is the first time I’m hearing this. I had no idea about Dean’s pills and all this crazy shit. How dare you accuse me?” said Lucifer, angrily.

“If not you, then who? Who would want to harm Dean and why? What could he have possibly done to you in two days’ time that you would want to harm him in such a manner?” Michael yelled. 

“Michael?” said Anna, terrified.

Michael turned to look at her with crazy eyes.  
“What is it, Anna? Please don’t tell me that it was you, because…” he started and ran his left hand’s fingers roughly through his hair.

“Michael, it was me”, came Kali’s voice from behind him.

“Kali?” said Gabriel, looking completely and utterly shocked.

Michael turned to look at her with cold eyes and said nothing. He stood there, not moving for a few seconds and then crossed the room with three large steps and stood right in front of her, next to the fireplace, where she was standing. They locked eyes and then Michael gave her a hard slap across her face that echoed in the room.

“Michael, STOP!” screamed Gabriel and ran to hold back his brother.

“Why did you do it, you stupid bitch?” yelled Michael, while Gabriel and Castiel, who had also come to restrain him, were pulling him backwards.

Kali just held her face, where Michael had hit her and tears started to run down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I didn’t know that it would make him sick. I just wanted to take revenge for making fun of me that morning… Please forgive me”, she said and started crying uncontrollably. 

“Who helped you? Tell me now… who gave you the pills?” he screamed, still trying to get out of his brothers’ hold. 

“No one… I did everything on my own…” she said, still crying.

“You’re lying… tell me who?” he screamed.

“I’m not lying! I remembered the pills Lilith was taking last year and I went in hers and Lucifer’s room to take some… I only wanted to mess with Dean… I didn’t know it would make him sick… I just wanted his heat to come back and make a fool of himself during the ceremony… I’m so sorry”, she said and kept crying.

“Get the hell out of my sight, before I kill you… I don’t want to see your face ever again!” he screamed, while Gabriel and Castiel were still trying to restrain him.

Kali ran ashamed and tearful to her room, with everyone’s gaze on her back. Castiel and Anna looked at each other and decided not to tell anything about Lilith. Kali had decided to take all the blame on her and they were going to respect her decision. They would only make a bigger mess, if they said anything. Lilith just looked at her hands and sat closely to Lucifer, not saying a word. Castiel and Gabriel finally let go of Michael and went to sit down.

Michael turned to look at the staff and told them to leave and then he turned to look at Gabriel.  
“Gabriel, you’re my brother and I love you… you know that you’re always welcome in my home, but If I see that psycho bitch ever again, I’m going to murder her with my own hands. Keep her away from me and Dean and all will be fine between us. I don’t want her here… Book a ticket and send her to New York, right away. I don’t want her to be here the day of the ceremony. I don’t want Dean to breathe the same air as her. Do you understand?” he said.

“Yes, Michael. I’ll do it immediately. I’m so sorry for what she did. Had I known…” started Gabriel.

“It’s not your fault. You’re not accountable for your wife’s actions… Just do as I said, please…” Michael said.

“Of course… I’ll take care of it immediately”, answered Gabriel and left the room.

“Lucifer, I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to accuse you like that”, said Michael, turning to face Lucifer.

“It’s okay… don’t worry about it. We’re good”, said Lucifer.

“Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me… I need to go and see how Dean is doing. Cas… welcome home, brother”, he said, squeezing Castiel’s shoulder as he was getting out of the room.

“It’s good to be home… thank you! Take care of Dean…” he said and Michael nodded, before he left the room.

The four of them, Lucifer, Lilith and Castiel with Anna, were left alone in the room, still shocked of what had happened, without mattering a word, until Castiel decided to speak up.

“Lilith, I think we all know how lucky you got here… We all know you were involved in this”, said Castiel and then interrupted Lucifer, when he tried to object.  
“Oh, please, Lucifer… give me some credit! I’m absolutely certain that Lilith had told you what she and Kali did…” he said.

“Oh, well…” said Lucifer and gave up the pretense.

Castiel just shook his head in disapproval.  
“If Kali hadn’t covered for you, I wouldn’t mind telling Michael everything. I’m certain that this was your idea… Kali can be crafty sometimes, but this has your name all over it… So, I’m warning you… don’t try to do anything like that ever again, because I won’t mind telling Michael of your involvement in Dean’s sickness”, he said and stood up.  
“Oh… and another thing! Don’t you ever again dare to threaten my wife… because I’ll make sure you pay for it”, he said and then turned back to face Anna.  
“Come on, honey”, he said, extending his hand for her to take.  
“Let’s go to our room.”

Anna immediately obeyed and took his hand, letting him lead her out of the room. Lucifer and Lilith were the only ones left in the living room then.

“So much drama”, commented Lucifer.  
“It made me hungry. What do you say, we go grab a bite? I feel like having pizza, tonight”, he said and smirked at his wife.

“You have the best ideas sometimes”, she said and let an evil grin spread on her face.  
“Let’s go!”


	9. Fast Food

Dean could hear a light sound of tapping coming from somewhere next to him, but felt unable to open his eyes. He could feel that his mouth and throat were dry and that he was still soaked in slick. After a minute or so, he found the strength and opened his eyes to see Michael, sitting next to him on the bed, over the covers, writing something on his laptop that was laying on his legs.

When he tried to shift a little, he felt something attached to his arm, holding him back and grumbled, making Michael aware that he had woken up.

“Dean, baby?” he said immediately, putting the laptop away and turning to face him.  
“Hey… hey, relax. We put an IV in your arm, don’t move around so much”, he said taking hold of Dean’s hand.  
“Are you okay? Do you need anything?” he asked, while stroking Dean’s hair with his free hand.

“Some water would be good”, said Dean in a tired voice.

Michael moved to get a glass of water from the nightstand and then brought it to Dean and made him drink some through a straw.

“What time is it? What happened?” Dean asked after taking a few sips. 

“It’s almost seven… The doctor left hours ago. He put you an IV to keep you hydrated and nurtured for now and he left us some instructions about what food we should give you the next days” he said.

“I’m starving!” said Dean.

“The IV he put you will take care of any need you have for food”, said Michael.

“Yeah, well… the IV is not a cheeseburger”, Dean grumbled.  
“I want it off”, he said and tried to remove it from his arm.

“Dean, baby… don’t! You need it”, said Michael, immobilizing his arms.

“No, I don’t! I’m fine…” he said and got freed of Michael’s hold, pulling the IV off of his arm.

Michael sighed deeply in disapproval and rubbed his forehead with his left hand. Dean looked up at him and then spoke.  
“I’ll have that cheeseburger now”, he said.

“I can’t give you a cheeseburger… the doctor’s instructions were to…” started Michael, but Dean interrupted him.

“I don’t care what the doctor’s instructions were. I know my body better than he does and nothing will make me feel better than a cheeseburger”, he said.  
“God, I need to shower… I feel so hot and filthy… I stink”, Dean commented.

“It’s because of your heat… you were sweating a lot and you never stopped producing more and more slick… You lost a lot of fluids. That’s why you needed the IV...” said Michael, looking at him disapprovingly.

“That’s why I need a shower, a cheeseburger and some cold beer”, said Dean.

“Beer? You can’t be serious… You’ve been drinking beer? Aren’t you a little young for that?” Michael asked.

“Oh, please… give me a break… if I’m old enough to get married, I’m old enough to drink beer. I’ve been drinking beer since I was at Sammy’s age. Dad never said anything and he knew. Are you seriously going to scold me for it, now that I’m eighteen?” said Dean, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yes, but Dean… you’re unwell and you need to rehydrate. Alcohol won’t do you any good right now, it would only make it worse…” Michael said, stroking his arm.

“Okay! No beer then. But I’m serious about the cheeseburger, though… Oh, and some pie would be great. I’ll drink lots and lots of water at dinner… Are you happy?” he said and grinned.

Michael sighed and then leaned close to Dean.  
“I love you, baby!” he said and captured Dean’s lips between his own.

“Mmm…” moaned Dean inside his mouth.  
“You know… you could come and shower with me… I’m still really horny. Let’s not let all that slick go to waste”, he said and kissed Michael again.

“As good as this sounds, I don’t want to risk you getting worse… We’ll have time for that later”, Michael said and then kissed Dean on his forehead.  
“Are you sure, you’re okay to shower? Aren’t you too weak for that? Maybe it would be safer for you to have a bath”, he said.

“No, I’m okay… I don’t feel that weak anymore. I just feel really filthy and hot and I want to get out of this bed, shower and change my clothes”, said Dean, sitting up and letting his back rest on the headboard. 

“Do you need any help?” Michael asked him.

“Unless you want to join me in the shower than no… I don’t need any help… I can manage on my own. Just make sure I get my cheeseburger and the pie! Oh… and don’t forget about the fries”, said Dean and made Michael chuckle.

“Okay… I’m on it! If you need any help, call me”, he said and then left the room.

…Α-Ω…

Around the same time this was happening, Sam and John were still away from the house. After that morning, when they heard Dean having sex with Michael, both father and son felt really uncomfortable and immediately ‘ran for their lives’. They walked on foot a few miles and then got a cab that was passing by and took a ride to L.A.

They spent the whole day walking the streets and enjoying the hot, sunny Californian weather and then, when they started getting hungry and tired, they decided to go have a burger, before they could get a ride back to the Novak’s mansion.

That’s where they were sitting now, at a booth in the corner of a fast food restaurant, looking outside the window, at the people who were passing by.

“Say it, Sam… I can feel you want to tell me something. You’ve been keeping it in you, all day. So, just go ahead and say it already”, said John, putting his burger down and looking at his son.

Sam hesitated for a second, but then spoke.  
“How could you do this, dad? How can you let Dean go through all this? I saw you today… when we heard them. You changed like five colors from embarrassment. How do you think you’re gonna feel, when Michael mates with Dean in a public ceremony? In front of everyone? All of our friends and family? In front of you? Do you have any idea of how terrified Dean is of that day? He hates it… he hates it, dad, but he’s willing to do it for you” he said, getting angrier by the second.

“You think I don’t know this? You think I wanted any of this to happen? That I wanted my firstborn son to become an omega? A bitch for the world to take? What did you want me to do with him? What better life could I have possibly offered him? If I had let him to your grandfather’s claws, who knows where he might have ended? I did this to protect him, Sam and along with him, protect you. Samuel would have taken you away. He was already accusing me of bad parenting. He was trying to build a case to take you and Dean away from me. But now that we have the Novak’s protection, he can’t do shit… If Dean was an alpha, it would be different… He’s an adult now. Samuel wouldn’t be able to do anything against his will. But he’s an omega, Sam. Do you understand what that means? It means that either his father, his husband or anyone else, like your grandfather, if he succeeded, can own him. I decided to let him get mated and let his husband own him, instead of Samuel. I did the best I could at the time to protect him…” said John through gritted teeth. 

“How can you say that about your own son? You think that omegas are pets? Livestock? What? They’re people… no one owns them…” said Sam in an accusing tone.

“You’re young, Sam. Young and naive. You don’t know how perverted the world is. I know that Dean isn’t some kind of a bitch. He’s physically strong, smart, athletic… he has every quality that an alpha has… but fate was cruel to him. It made him crave knots instead of a woman’s breasts. It made him weak, a victim of his own body. Male omegas are less than one per cent of the general population. Do you understand how rare that makes them? How desired? If I hadn’t moved fast and someone else, outside the suitors that I chose for him, had found out about Dean… Dean could have been kidnapped or worse. Now he’s in a safe environment, with people who love him, care about him. And along with him, I managed to save us too. The government keeps talking about the omegas’ rights, but it’s all an illusion. They say that male omegas have the same rights as everybody else, but it’s a lie, Sam… they don’t… I’ve done nothing but protect Dean and I’m not going to apologize for that”, he finished and let his gaze wander outside the window once more. 

“Do you honestly believe that this is the best for Dean? That the members of this family respect him and care about him? …Did you know that they’ve been making fun of him, since the first moment we arrived? But what am I saying? They even dared to make a joke out of him in front of us, at dinner. And you said nothing. You didn’t even try to defend Dean. You just stood there and took it all in. You let them belittle him, make fun of him and you said nothing. The only time you said anything was when you thought Michael had gotten pissed with Dean and you were afraid that he might ruin the deal. Am I wrong? Isn’t that why you spoke then?” said Sam, glaring daggers at his father.

“Yes, Sam. It’s true. What do you want me to say to you? I couldn’t let this deal go south. This is our best shot.”

“Our best shot? And what about Dean? How do you feel about Dean? Do you even care about what happens to him?”

“Your brother, as we both heard today, has already shown interest in his mate. It’s done, Sam. He accepted him. He wants to be with Michael… it’s clear. He let him take his virginity. He’s damaged goods for all others. He belongs with Michael now. So, stop this, right now. I don’t want to hear it. Don’t you get it? We’ve been sitting here for the past few minutes, fighting over something that’s already been done and that Dean has accepted. Dean is okay with it and it’s about his life. So, why can’t you just be happy about your brother?” said John.

“I can’t believe you would say that to me. I’m the only one who really cares about Dean. If I knew for sure that that’s what Dean wanted, of course I would be happy for him.”

“And how do you know that it’s not? Have you asked him about how he feels about this?”

“Yes”, said Sam, hesitating.

“And what did he tell you?”

“The same things you said. That he has a real chance to be treated with respect here and be happy. That he trusts Michael.”

“What is your problem, then?” asked John.

“Trusting someone isn’t the same with being in love, dad. Doesn’t Dean have the right to meet someone and fall in love?”

“He just met the guy, Sam. Give him some time. He already trusts him… Love takes time. Rome wasn’t built in a day…”

“I don’t agree. I believe that when you meet the right person, you immediately know… The same way I knew about Jessica. The same way you knew about mom.”

“Don’t bring your mother into this, Sam. And what about Jessica? You’re not even fifteen yet, Sam and you want to talk about true love? What do you know about being in love? You’re just a kid.”

“I’m old enough to know that Jessica is the only girl I will ever marry”, protested Sam. 

“I wish that for you, son. But, not everyone is the same. You need to accept your brother’s choices. The way I see it, he’s already chosen Michael. So, don’t try and ruin this for us. Dean will be happy in time… you’ll see.”

“I hope you’re right, because if that’s not the case…” started Sam, but John interrupted him.

“Please, son. Let’s not argue about this anymore. Just finish your dinner so that we can go back at the mansion and see Dean. Okay?”

“Yeah, alright”, said Sam and went back to eating his Cobb salad.

None of them knew yet of what had happened to Dean that day and they continued eating their dinner a little more relaxed than before, after they had their talk. Little did they know that these hypothetical threats against Dean, that they were talking about earlier, were happening inside that very family, they thought –at least when it came to John- that Dean would be safe in. That day was only the first of many to come, filled with problems for Dean. As Sam looked outside the window and saw the sun setting, one thing crossed his mind. Dean’s mating ceremony was one day closer now and it all showed that it was something inevitable.


	10. An Honest Mistake

The sound of birds singing was what woke Dean up the next morning. After rubbing the sleep off his eyes and stretching on the bed, he lazily got up and checked the time on his cell phone. It was a quarter past eleven and Dean then understood why Michael was nowhere to be seen. He probably let Dean rest more and got up himself, because he had to work. With that thought on his mind, Dean headed towards the bathroom for his usual morning routine.

Today, Dean was feeling better, but it was obvious that his heat was nowhere near over. The previous night he showered at least four times, before he drifted off and slept until this morning. All evening he was trying to seduce Michael, so that he would have sex with him, because he felt extremely horny, but Michael would say no, every time, fearing for Dean’s health. 

Michael told him about everything that happened with Kali and he asked him not to worry anymore, because he sent her away. He also asked him not to get into details with his father and brother about what happened, because he didn’t want them to get the wrong idea about the family. Dean agreed to that, already imagining Sam’s bitch face, the moment he’d hear the news. So, when John and Sam came back, he said nothing about it and just told them that he went into heat and had a fever. Sam was worried and Dean could feel that his little brother knew that there was more to it, but Sam didn’t ask and Dean didn’t say anything more. Michael also mentioned that his brother, Castiel, had come back from New York, but Dean didn’t have the chance to meet him, because when he went downstairs to eat the food Michael had gotten for him, he and Anna were already in their room.

After getting dressed with a black t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans and his boots, Dean headed towards the kitchen, ‘cause he was starving. Michael had brought all of Dean’s luggage in his room the previous night and he told Dean that he could wear anything he wanted and felt comfortable with and that he would never ask him to change the way he dressed ever again and so Dean was glad to wear his own clothes again, today. When he reached the kitchen, he was surprised to see Michael standing in front of the kitchen counter, reading a paper and drinking his coffee. All he could see was Michael’s back and the back of his head, but it was enough to make him smile, because Michael’s hair looked still kind of messy, like the way it was the previous morning, when he was still sleeping in their bed. There was no one else in the kitchen and so Dean decided to approach him carefully and surprise him with a hug from behind. The moment he reached him, he brought both his hands to Michael’s front, hugging him tightly and burying his face to Michael’s back of the neck, giving him soft kisses there. Immediately, he felt Michael stiffen in his arms, but Dean didn’t comment on it and Michael said nothing.

“Mmm… good morning, baby! You smell so good today…” said Dean, after inhaling Michael’s scent, deeply, feeling his hole filling with more slick and the front of his jeans becoming a little tighter.

Michael didn’t move or said a word.  
“What’s the matter? Cat ate your tongue?” Dean asked, trying to turn Michael around, so that he could kiss him on the lips. The moment he did, though, he froze and then let go of him so fast, like he was hit by a lightning.

“Oh my God! You’re not Michael… I’m so sorry!” said Dean, feeling completely ashamed and getting red in the face. Dean was met with a pair of blue eyes, so similar to Michael’s, but also so different, looking at him intently.  
“I didn’t… I just saw you from behind and I thought… You must be Cas… Michael’s younger brother… I guess you kinda figured who I am… I’m Dean… uhm… Michael’s mate… Uh… it’s nice to meet you?” said Dean, finishing with a hesitant sort of question and gripping his hair from the back of his head with his right hand.

Castiel just stood there, looking at Dean without speaking, making him feel really uncomfortable.  
“Look, man… I’m so sorry… I… please don’t tell Michael… I…” said Dean, looking at the man in front of him and noticing him for the first time after the initial shock. Castiel was downright gorgeous. He had a nice body and a beautiful face… His hair was messy, like he had just gotten out of bed and made him look damn sexy and besides his beautiful eyes, he had also the most amazing pair of lips… pink and plump, like they were made only for kissing or giving blowjobs. ‘Keep it together, Dean! You can’t be thinking about blowjobs right now’, thought Dean, scolding himself for his inappropriate thoughts.

“Uhm… hello, Dean… It’s… uh… nice to meet you, I guess”, said Castiel, after finding his voice again. This whole time that he spent staring at Dean, all he could think about was how familiar Dean felt to him… how good he smelled when he hugged him… like a mate would smell to someone… like home… He remembered then of the moment he heard Dean’s voice for the first time, when he was having sex with Michael… how peculiar it made him feel… now he knew why that was… ‘oh, I’m so screwed…’ he thought.

“Don’t worry… I wouldn’t say anything to Michael… I mean… it was an honest mistake… you…” Castiel said.

“Yeah… a mistake… nothing more…” said Dean, staring into Castiel’s blue eyes, feeling his heart hammering inside his chest.

“Oh, Dean… I see you’ve met our younger brother”, came Lucifer’s voice from behind Dean, when he entered the kitchen.  
“Castiel, what do you say, huh? Mikey knows how to pick them, doesn’t he?” said Lucifer and smirked, noticing his brother’s expression.  
“Doesn’t that hottie make you wish you had him for yourself?” he went on, moving his eyebrows suggestively up and down.

“Uhm… do you know where Michael is?” asked Dean then, forgetting about how hungry he was when he entered the kitchen and wanting an excuse to flee the room.

“Yes, actually… He’s with dad, outside… checking the place where your mating ceremony will be held, three days from now… So, are you anxious about it? Do you feel at all scared?” Lucifer asked, noticing both Dean’s and Castiel’s pained expressions at the sound of his words and feeling smug about putting them there.

“No, not really…” said Dean, calmly, not wanting to give Lucifer the satisfaction of knowing how uncomfortable his words made him feel.

“Oh, yeah?” asked Lucifer, feigning surprise.  
“Well, then… good for you!” he said.

“Uh… excuse me, but I think I’m gonna go find Michael now”, said Dean.  
“Uhm… nice to meet you, Cas…” he said, turning his attention back to the blue eyed man.

“Yeah… you, too!” said Castiel after two seconds of silence.  
“Welcome to the family”, he said.

“Thank you”, answered Dean and then turned to leave.

Once the coast was clear and Dean was out of hearing range, Lucifer turned to look at Castiel.

“Well? Don’t tell me that Michael isn’t one lucky bastard?” he said.

“What do you want, Lucifer? Why are you asking me all these questions?” said Castiel, glaring at his brother.

“Oh, please, Cas… The moment I got in the kitchen, I could smell the arousal that was coming from the both of you… You like him… you want to fuck him and you can’t and it’s killing you”, said Lucifer, pleased with himself.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” said Cas and looked away.

“Yeah, okay… whatever helps you sleep at night, brother…” said Lucifer and went to get some coffee.  
“I wonder how Anna would feel about this…” he wondered aloud, lifting his eyebrow.  
“Maybe I should just go and ask her”, he said then and started laughing.

“You’re impossible”, said Cas and left the room, frustrated.

“Yeah, well… at least, I’m not the one in love with my brother’s mate!” yelled Lucifer for Cas to hear.

Castiel was in deep shit and the worst part was that Lucifer knew it too. How did this happen? How did Dean make him feel so much? He had just met him and all he could think about was kissing him, fucking him, knotting him… making him his own! What was he going to do? And what about Michael or Anna? He couldn’t do this to them… he couldn’t think like that… He had to stop…  
‘Stop, Cas… stop’, he thought to himself.  
‘You’re about to ruin everything’, he thought and sighed.

The rest of the days until the ceremony were going to be endless. He just knew it!

…Α-Ω…

Michael and Chuck were observing the work that had been done for the ceremony, at the land behind the mansion, when Dean found them. The platform, where Dean and Michael would take their vows and then mate had already been set and all there was left to do was dress it with fur, like Chuck had told Dean it was accustomed. The space in front of the small platform was filled with two rows of white benches, decorated with flowers and a little further than that, there was a huge tent, where the guests would dine after the mating was completed.

It was the first time that Dean was seeing everything and all the sudden it all seemed very real and near. Simultaneously, his encounter with Castiel was still playing inside his head. The way he felt the moment he realized that the man he was kissing and holding wasn’t Michael. The first time he really took in the sight of him… the way he smelled… and then, Lucifer’s inappropriate comments about him and the reminding of the mating ceremony. All these thoughts were passing through Dean’s head, when Michael noticed he was standing near him and his father, looking around.

“Dean, baby? Come here…” Michael said and Dean obeyed, approaching him and Chuck.  
“When did you get up? Are you feeling any better today?” he asked him and then kissed his forehead.

“Yeah, I’m good… how’s everything going around here?” Dean asked, while getting more comfortable in Michael’s arms, after the other man hugged him.

“Oh, we’re almost ready… there are only a few details that we need to take care of, but everything is going as planned”, said Chuck and then paused.  
“Dean? Michael told me what happened yesterday, with Kali… I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am that this happened to you. I never expected her to act like this… I need to apologize to you on her behalf”, said Chuck.

“Please, father…, don’t”, Michael interrupted him.  
“I don’t want to hear anything about Kali. I’m never going to forgive her for what she did and an apology from you to Dean, won’t mean anything. It won’t change what happened. I know that I upset you by telling her to leave, but what she did was horrific… I don’t want her anywhere near him”, said Michael and tightened his embrace around Dean.

“No, it’s okay…” said Dean.  
“But you really don’t need to feel bad about it or apologize. You didn’t do anything… I hadn’t realized that I upset her so much that she would try and do such a thing… but I don’t really blame her… I don’t think she realized what she was doing…” said Dean.

“Dean, baby… please… Don’t defend her. She knew exactly what she was doing and even if not… do you understand what could have happened? It could have been worse. You could have died... and whatever you might have said to her doesn’t justify what she did…”

“Michael, don’t exaggerate… It was only a fever…” said Dean.

“Dean, don’t tell me the same shit you told your father and your brother… I know exactly what it was, ‘cause I saw it with my own eyes and I heard what the doctor had to say with my own ears… So, believe me, I’m not exaggerating…” 

“In any case… I don’t want anyone to feel bad about this… I need you to forget about it… I’m okay and hopefully nothing like that will ever happen again”, said Dean.

“Damn right, it won’t happen again… Not unless someone wants me to rip their head off”, said Michael and kissed the top of Dean’s head.

“You are a lovely couple”, said Chuck and smiled at the scene in front of him.  
“I’m proud of you… Dean, Michael couldn’t have found a better mate than you… I’m glad you’re going to be part of our family… and I promise you that nothing like what happened yesterday will happen ever again. I’ll make sure of it…” said Chuck and patted Dean on his shoulder before leaving.

“So this is it then?” asked Dean, pointing at the platform, after Chuck was gone.

“Are you still worried about that day?” said Michael, facing Dean.

“I don’t know. I guess I feel kinda numb right now… I don’t really want to think about it, but… I trust you and… you’re gonna be up there with me, so… I’ll be alright…” said Dean, giving Michael a reassuring smile.

“Thank you… thank you for accepting this. It means a lot to my father that the ceremony happens and I didn’t want to have to disappoint him… if you couldn’t do it… I wouldn’t pressure you… I’d call it off… for you… even if it meant pissing my father off…” said Michael.

“It’s okay… you don’t have to… I can handle it…” said Dean and buried his face in the crook of Michael’s neck, inhaling his scent deeply. Michael was right for him… He had to believe it…  
‘There can be no other for me, only Michael’, he told himself and a pair of blue eyes came back to his mind… The only problem was that these eyes, although similar, weren’t Michael’s… they were someone else’s.


	11. True Mates

While the morning was eventful for Dean, the rest of the day passed smoothly for him. Michael took him for a ride in the city of the Angels, for the first time since Dean arrived in California and they spent the whole day sightseeing, before they would have to leave again for New York. Dean managed to forget about what happened between him and Michael’s brother, Castiel, that morning, while they were away from the house, but he would soon have to face him again, when they returned.

Castiel, on the other hand, spent his whole day in a weird mood, making everyone around him notice that there was something wrong with him and Anna worry about him. The only one who didn’t wonder what might be the matter was Lucifer, who was giving Cas these smug, half smiles all day and was starting to seriously piss him off. Gabriel wanted to talk to him since the previous day, when Cas came home, but with everything that happened with Kali, he didn’t have a chance to and seeing him in that mood today, he felt like he really should.

…Α-Ω…

The sun had set a few minutes back and they were now all sitting in the living room, waiting for Dean and Michael to return, so that they could have dinner. 

“So, Cas… son? How’s New York? Is everything alright with the company? Did you manage to finish all the pending business?” asked Chuck, turning his attention to his youngest son.

Castiel seemed a little taken aback by his father’s question, which pulled him out of his thoughts, but quickly recovered from the shock and then spoke for the first time after a while.  
“Yes, father… Everything is taken care of… We shouldn’t have any problems until we return… The problem was solved, so yeah… I decided it was time for me to come home…” he said.

“I’m glad you did, son. Anna really missed you and I really wanted you to meet the new members of our family”, said Chuck, pointing towards Sam and John, who were sitting on a couch a few feet away from him.  
“Did you have a chance to meet Dean, yet? Your brother’s mate? I know they’ve been gone all day, so maybe you didn’t.”

“Oh, he met him, alright!” said Lucifer, smirking at Castiel. Fortunately, Cas was the only one who seemed to notice his brother’s smirk.

“Oh, you did? That’s good… Isn’t he the sweetest? He and Michael make such a lovely couple… Wouldn’t you agree?” said Chuck.

Cas felt a stab in his heart.  
“I don’t know, father… I haven’t seen them together yet. I only had a chance to talk to Dean for a few minutes”, he said and lowered his head, trying to compose himself.

“Oh, they truly are great together… I’m telling you… trust me… When they are around each other, they seem to glow… This morning, they were so sweet to each other… It makes me so happy to see them like that. It may have started as an arranged marriage, but they both seem to truly want it now. I think Dean’s yesterday’s sickness brought them closer… It made them see how important they are to each other… And they are also so cute together. Don’t you agree, John?” said Chuck, turning his attention to Dean’s father.

“Yes, of course. I’m glad things turned out this way. I’m not talking about Dean’s fever… God no… Just the fact that my son realized how caring Michael is. He trusts him and they seem to really like each other. So, I’m happy for my son, for finding such a good mate”, said John.

The conversation made Castiel want to throw up. He didn’t want to listen to what a great couple Dean and Michael were. He didn’t want to believe that what he felt that morning was a lie. He knew that Dean felt the same way. It couldn’t be just him… Could it? Could he be so wrong? Could he really have felt all those things for Dean, just by one moment that Dean held him and kissed him and Dean still be completely unaffected by it? He didn’t want to believe that… no… Not that it really mattered, though. Although, Dean made him feel so much… he couldn’t do that to Anna… he was married and mated with her. He couldn’t possibly pursue something with Dean… Or could he? All his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.

“Oh, Michael and Dean must be here…” said Gabriel and made Cas look up and towards the room’s entrance, expecting to see Dean.

“Hey, everyone”, said Michael, getting inside the room with Dean. Castiel’s eyes were immediately fixed on their joined hands and he couldn’t help but feel a stab of pure jealousy.

“Hey, Michael… Dean. How was your day? Dean, how did you find L.A.? Did you like it? Have you ever seen it, before?” asked Chuck.

Dean noticed Cas looking at him intently with the corner of his eye, but hurried to answer Chuck’s question, anyway.  
“No, I’ve never been to L.A. before. I’ve barely gotten out of Kansas, but I really liked it… It was cool. Michael was a good tour guide”, he said and smiled at Michael. That smile made Cas feel even more jealous.

Michael returned Dean’s smile and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.  
“I’m glad you liked it, baby”, he said.

“So? Is everyone ready for dinner, then?” asked Chuck.

“Oh, no… we already ate. I hope you weren’t waiting for us. We got starved and we decided to go to a bistro and eat”, said Michael.

“We thought that you would come home and eat with us… but it’s okay. We understand. You went on your first date after all, of course you would go and eat. The rest of you can follow me to the dining room, then”, said Chuck and then left the room. 

Slowly, everyone started getting up from their seats to go and eat, but Cas seemed glued to his, observing every exchange between Michael and Dean.

“Baby, you can go with them, if you want… I need to make some phone calls. It was my assistant, Meg, who called earlier and I need to run some things with her. You can stay with me, but I’m afraid you’ll get bored”, said Michael and kissed Dean’s forehead.

“I think I want to go and sit on the porch for a while… It’s a lovely evening, tonight”, Dean said.

“Okay, when I’m done, maybe I’ll come find you, if you’re still there”, said Michael and gave him one last kiss on the lips, before he left.

“Cas, are you coming?” came Anna’s voice, who came back in the room, looking for her husband. Dean hadn’t noticed that Castiel hadn’t left the room, while he was talking with Michael and he turned to look at the other man.

“Uh, I’m not really hungry… I think I’ll keep Dean some company instead… if he’ll have me. You can go ahead and eat”, said Cas, standing up from the couch, where he was sitting. Dean just turned to look at Anna then and nodded, like he was telling her that he was okay with staying with Cas.

“Uh, okay…” said Anna in a hesitant voice.  
“I guess I’ll just go, then. See you later…” she said and left the room.

The moment she was gone, Dean turned to look at the other man again.  
“Not hungry, huh?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Castiel just wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and avoided Dean’s gaze.  
“Shall we go sit on the porch?” he asked, looking up at Dean.

“Yeah, sure… I guess…” said Dean and made a move to leave the room, Cas following right behind him.

…Α-Ω…

Once they were outside, sitting comfortably on a bench on the porch, they fell in an awkward silence for a while. But then Castiel decided to speak up.

“So… are we going to talk about it… or are we going to pretend that nothing’s wrong?” he asked, searching for Dean’s green eyes with his blue ones.

Dean turned to look at him and then spoke.  
“I have no idea what you’re referring to…” he said and then looked back to his front, at the night sky.

“The second one, then…” Cas said and let a frustrated little laugh escape his lips.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” said Dean, irritated.

“Dean, I can smell you… I know how I make you feel… and I’m certain that you know how I feel about you, too. You can smell it on me… can’t you?” Castiel asked.

Dean just stared at him.  
“I’m in heat… I always smell like that around everyone these days… don’t read too much into it. And as for your smell, I hadn’t really noticed… Your body must be reacting to my smell, because I’m an omega in heat and you’re an alpha”, he said.

“Oh, yeah? And do you feel so nervous around everybody else as well?” said Cas, getting a little closer to Dean.

“Look, Cas… just don’t, okay? I finally wrapped my head around the idea that I’m getting married to your brother… I can’t start having second thoughts about it, now… and anyway, it’s not like I could stop it. It’s already been decided. It’s happening and I’m finally okay with it…” Dean said, not looking at him.

“I’m sorry, Dean. I don’t like what’s happening to me anymore than you do… I have a wife for God’s sake. Michael is my brother… but… I can’t just ignore how you make me feel… Please, tell me the truth… You feel it too, don’t you?” he said and then outstretched his hand towards Dean.

Dean moved to avoid his touch.  
“I don’t”, he lied.  
“I’m just frustrated, because I’m in heat… I told you… Your brother’s wife, Kali, succeeded and messed me up pretty nicely…” 

“Fine…” said Cas and pulled back his arm.  
“If you don’t want to admit it…” 

Dean turned to look at him, then, starting to get angry with Castiel’s persistence.   
“Admit what, Cas? That I’m horny for you? That your smell drives me nuts? What would I achieve, if I admitted that to you? What good would it do? It would only make things harder… If I indulged in these feelings, I’d screw everything up… My family needs this marriage to happen. I need to marry Michael and I want to, damn it… So, stop confusing me…” Dean said.

“So, you do feel the same!” said Cas, letting a sigh of relief.

“Is that all you heard? What about the part where I said that I’m not going to do anything about it?” Dean said.

“I’ve been thinking about you, all day… The way you smelled when you touched me… How good it felt when you hugged me and kissed me… I’ve never felt like this before… and I hadn’t even met you… And you felt the same way… Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” Cas asked him with hopeful eyes.

“No, it doesn’t… I don’t believe in that kind of shit…” Dean said.

“You don’t believe in true mates?”

“No, ‘cause there’s no such thing as true mates or soul mates or whatever. These are all crap for chick flick movies for fifteen year old girls”, said Dean.

“You don’t believe it, but you feel it… Deep down you know that it’s me you should be mated to and not Michael.”

“No, I don’t know that. What I know is that you’re already married and mated to Anna and that I’m about to get married and mated to your brother. So, there’s no reason talking about it…” said Dean.

“I don’t want to see you mated to Michael… I… Dean… you and me…”

“…are going to be brothers in law and nothing more, Cas… You’re the alpha… you should have more control over your feelings than me… an omega in heat… Try and control yourself… I don’t want you to mess this up for me”, said Dean.

“Is it because of the money? Is that why you’re marrying my brother?”

“No… it’s not… I just want my family to be protected… and your family and clan can provide that kind of protection for them… And I like Michael… I think he’s an honorable alpha and that he’ll be a great husband and father for my children.”

“Is that so?” asked Cas, smiling bitterly.  
“You don’t think I could be that for you? I good husband and a good father?” 

“From what I gather, you’re already a good husband to your wife… and as for being a good father, I’m sure you’ll be a great father to the children you two might have one day…” 

“Right… the children me and Anna will have…” said Cas and buried his face in his hands.

Dean felt sorry for the guy. He was being hard on him, but he felt as desperate as he did. He knew Cas was right… that what he felt for him was strong as was the need to comfort him that moment. Without really thinking it, he outstretched his hand to caress Castiel’s back. Before he had a chance to do it, though, Michael appeared on the porch and Dean pulled back his hand, immediately.

“Hey, baby! Cas?” Michael said, getting near them. Cas composed himself then and stood straighter at his seat on the bench.  
“Thanks for keeping company to my mate, but I think I can take over now… Why don’t you go back inside?” Michael asked him, when he got right in front of him.

Cas looked up at him and then at Dean. He seemed hesitant to move.  
“Go on. Anna was looking for you”, Michael went on.

“I… I guess, I’ll see you, tomorrow then… Goodnight!” said Cas and went back inside the house with heavy steps.

When he was gone, Dean looked up at Michael, curiously.  
“Well, you were in a hurry to send him away…” he said.

Michael smiled wickedly.  
“Will you take a walk with me?” he asked Dean, offering him his hand.

“What do you have in mind? What’s with that smile?” Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I think I’d like to test how comfortable that platform is…” Michael said to him.

Dean immediately stood up, taking his hand. Michael could smell the slick gathering in Dean’s ass and smiled at his eagerness.  
“So, you’re up for it?” he asked.

“Hell, yeah! I’ve been waiting for that, all day…” Dean answered, forgetting about Cas and the thoughts that were running through his mind a few minutes ago. But who could blame him? He was an omega in heat and he had managed to behave himself all day, despite the fact that there were two delicious alpha smells, calling to him.

“Let’s go, then”, said Michael and kissed him passionately on the lips.


	12. Awkward

The walk through the mansion’s garden was filled with excitement from both sides and the moment Dean and Michael reached the said platform, Michael hurried to lift Dean and make him sit at the edge of it, getting comfortable between his legs and kissing him again. 

“I’ll never get tired of kissing you… you’re simply that amazing”, Michael said and then buried his face in the crook of Dean’s neck. Dean just held him close to his body, caressing his back softly.

“Dean?” Michael said, after raising his head again.

“Hmm?” mumbled Dean, looking at the other man.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this? I know you said today that you agree with the ceremony… but we still have time to cancel it, if you’re not comfortable with it…”

“No… I told you… I’m okay with it… your father trusts us to deal with it and do it… I don’t want to disappoint him any more than you do. He’s been kind to me… I don’t want to let him down”, Dean said and then kissed Michael’s lips.

“I love you so much… you know that? I… the way you make me feel is indescribable… When I’m not around you, I go nuts… How could you have possibly done this to me in such a short amount of time?” Michael said and kissed him again.

“Like you said, I’m simply that amazing…” said Dean and laughed, kissing the alpha’s nose, then his jaw and finally his lips. 

“All I could think, while I was in my office, talking to Meg, was coming back to you… so, I could kiss you some more…” 

“Yeah… I noticed… I thought you said that you would be late or something. I thought that I’d end up going to bed and fall asleep before you had a chance to come to me… But… you’re here… so, stop talking, ‘cause I’m too horny and I can’t hold back anymore… I need you inside me… I want you so much, right now…” said Dean and wrapped his legs tightly around Michael’s waist, pulling him closer to his body.

Michael wasted no time then and attacked Dean’s lips with all he had and then maneuvered him, so that he could climb on the circular platform himself, never stopping his kisses on Dean, while he did so. Once they were in the middle, Michael started undoing Dean’s belt, while Dean started undoing his… the excitement in the air almost touchable. Not much later and both their pants were gone from their bodies, after removing them as quickly as possible, along with their shoes, and with no finesse whatsoever. The shirts came next and the moment they were both completely naked, they dived into each other’s arms with an animalistic passion… Biting, scratching, sucking… the next day would definitely find them covered in marks. 

“Michael… hurry up, baby… I can’t take it anymore”, said Dean, while opening his legs more. 

Dean’s slick was now dripping from his hole, making a mess on the platform, while his penis was fully erect and was dripping with pre-cum. Michael’s eyes were blown with lust from the sight in front of him and the smell that was coming off of Dean and unable to hold himself back anymore, he positioned himself and then drove inside Dean’s body, earning a loud, animalistic moan from his lover.

“OH GOD… move, baby… you have to move”, Dean urged him and Michael started pounding mercilessly inside him, making Dean scream with pleasure.

“Oh… yeah… Dean, baby… you’re so tight… so perfect around me… milking my cock… I think that I won’t last that long this time, like I did yesterday”, he admitted and kept pounding inside Dean.

“It’s okay… just keep going… don’t slow down…” said Dean, unable to hold back the moans. It just felt so damn good and five minutes of continuous thrusts later, Dean could feel the heat pooling low in his belly and not much later he was coming hard between his and Michael’s stomachs. 

“Oh, baby… you’re so beautiful like that…” Michael told him then, watching him coming undone underneath him and keeping the fast rhythm he had set, making the sound of wet skin slapping on wet skin echo at the open space.

After a while, like the last time they had sex, Dean managed to get hard again, before Michael had a chance to finish.  
“God… you’re so young and full of life… I can’t keep up with you”, Michael said, after noticing Dean getting hard again, and gave him a passionate kiss on the lips.

“Well, it’s a good thing you last that long, then”, said Dean and moaned inside his mouth.

“Not too long… I… I can feel it coming… I… Oh God, Dean… I’m so close…” Michael said and moaned, taking Dean’s cock in his hand and starting stroking it fast, in time with his thrusts. 

“Oh… yeah… oh… fuck, fuck, fuck… FUCK…” screamed Dean and then started feeling Michael’s cum drenching his inside walls and his knot swelling to lock them together, while he himself was coming for the second time that evening, so closely to his first.

It was only seconds, before Michael collapsed on top of him, feeling his strength deserting him.  
“That was so intense”, he said and kissed Dean’s temple tenderly.

“Tell me about it…” said Dean, still breathing hard, hugging Michael and keeping him in place, right on top of him and between his legs.

“Sorry, I should have changed our positions, before my knot swelled. Am I too heavy? Is this bothering you? You’re uncomfortable, aren’t you?” Michael asked, looking inside Dean’s green eyes.

“No, it’s okay… I like this… I like holding you… It’s only the wood underneath us that feels uncomfortable to my back”, Dean answered truthfully and kissed Michael’s forehead. 

“Yeah, it’s not done yet… I’m sorry… But it will feel nothing like this at the day of the ceremony… I promise you that it will be far more comfortable then…” Michael said.

“I know… it’s okay…” said Dean and started caressing Michael’s back again, looking up at the night sky. He could get used to this, he told himself then.

…Α-Ω…

When Castiel went back inside the house, he found the rest of the family still eating at the dining room and went to sit at the table beside Anna.

“You changed your mind? You want to eat?” Anna asked him, ready to put some food on the empty plate in front of him.

“I guess… I could eat some food…” he said and let his wife take his plate to fill it with food.  
“Michael said you were looking for me…” he said, while he watched her filling his plate with salad.

“He did?” she asked confused.  
“I haven’t seen Michael… Not after he went inside the library. I thought he was still in there”, she said, placing the plate in front of Cas.

Castiel just stared at her.  
“Where you with Dean? Maybe he wanted some alone time with him and that’s why he said it”, she told him then, looking at his confused expression.

Castiel felt sick to his stomach then, thinking about what Michael might have wanted to do with Dean and told him to leave, but tried to compose himself and show how he felt as little as possible.  
“Yeah… maybe”, he said, failing miserably to hide that he was in a bad mood.

Gabriel just looked at him carefully then, but said nothing. That talk had to happen and fast. What the hell was that face for? He knew that there was something wrong with his brother and he had to talk to him about it as soon as they were left alone. However, Anna, noticing her husband’s mood too, wasn’t about to wait for them to be left alone to ask him what his problem was.

“Cas… is something wrong? You’ve been in a weird mood all day, today and now you seem to be even worse. Is there anything that you would like to tell me? Did something happen?” she asked him, looking at him with eyes filled with worry.

“Son, is this true? Is everything alright? Did something happen in New York that you’re not telling us?” asked Chuck, paying attention to them for the first time, after spending the whole dinner speaking with John.

“No…” answered Castiel, feeling everyone’s eyes on him.  
“I’m not in a mood… I don’t know what you’re talking about… And everything is alright in New York, dad… Don’t worry about it… I told you I took care of everything”, he said, turning his attention to his father.

“Yes, but…” started Anna, but Castiel interrupted her.

“What? Do I have to be happy and smiley all the time? What do you want from me?” he said, staring at her and yelling a little at the end.

Anna just stared at him, surprised at his outbreak and then lowered her head, sadly. It was the second time in two days that Castiel was yelling at her and it was something that had never happened before during the eight months that they’ve been married.

“Son, please… why are you yelling? Anna was just worried about you…” said Chuck, shocked with his son.

“I’m not yelling”, answered Cas, angrily, still yelling.

“Don’t raise your voice to me, boy. You’d better watch your mouth, when you speak to me…” said Chuck, starting to get angry with Castiel.

“I didn’t say anything…” said Cas, still yelling.

“Castiel, calm the fuck down…” Chuck yelled at him then.

Castiel let a frustrated sigh and went back to playing angrily with his food instead of eating it.

“You’re acting like a child… What are you doing now? Eat your damn food”, said Chuck.

“What, dad? You have a problem with how I eat my food now too? Is there anything else I’m doing that’s bothering you?” Castiel asked, glaring at his father.

“I think that the time you spent in New York caused you to forget your manners. That is no way of talking to your father. You’re a grown man, not a kid to get rebellious and talk back to me like that. This is still my house and as long as I live, if you want to keep visiting it, you’ll have to act accordingly. Now eat your food or get the hell out of here and go to your room. I won’t ask twice…” said Chuck, glaring back at his son.

“I might not be a kid anymore, but you’re definitely acting like I am. Scolding me and yelling at me in front of strangers”, said Castiel, pointing towards John and Sam, who were staring uncomfortably at the table in front of them.

“They’re not strangers… They’re part of our family now… They’re Dean’s family and therefore ours too. So, start acting like it and stop making a fool out of yourself, if you don’t want me to yell at you”, yelled Chuck.

Castiel just crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at the table in front of him, not eating or saying a word.

“Sam… John… I’m so sorry about this. I’m sorry that you had to see that…” Chuck said apologetically to Sam and John.

“It’s okay”, said John.  
“Don’t worry about it. I understand… I have two sons, remember?” he said and Chuck smiled.

“They can be difficult sometimes, can’t they?” Chuck asked him.

“Definitely… I have many stories about both my sons that prove that”, said John, returning the smile and causing Sam to glare at him.

After the small incident, everyone went back to eating their food, until they heard a loud noise coming from outside.

“What was that?” asked Gabriel, causing everyone to look up from their food and look around in confusion.

Lucifer just stood up then and went to the living room’s back window that was seeing towards the garden, only to see Michael and Dean having sex on the platform, far enough from him to not be able to see any details.

“Oh, God!” he said and hurried to close the curtains, coming back to the dining room.

“What happened? Did you see something? What was that noise?” asked Gabriel and everyone turned to look at Lucifer.

Lucifer just looked at Cas then and smirked before he spoke.  
“Well, now I know why Michael asked you to leave… He and Dean are having sex in our backyard… on the platform. If we knew, we would have sped up the process and finished it. It’s gotta be uncomfortable. Not that they seemed to care… They seemed to enjoy themselves very much”, he said and then laughed at his brother’s expression.

“They’re having sex?” Castiel asked in disbelief, feeling his heart dropping to his feet.

“Yeah… I guess, they’re rehearsing…” said Lucifer and laughed.

“Lucifer, please… I hope they get to New York soon, ‘cause they keep making us aware of the times they have intercourse”, mattered Chuck, blushing. 

Both John and Sam were once again completely red in the face.  
“Tell me about it”, said John and brought his glass of wine to his lips, finishing it in a matter of seconds.

Castiel was left staring at his plate and saying nothing, with Lucifer glancing over at him every now and then and smirking to himself.  
‘This could be a lot of fun’, he thought and went back to eating his food.


	13. Broken Trust and Broken Hearts

After spending the rest of the dinner in silence, everyone got up eventually and Gabriel cornered his brother and asked for a moment with him.

“Can I have a word with you?” he asked Cas.

Castiel eyed him suspiciously, but nodded anyway.  
“Okay”, he said and followed Gabriel out of the room and then into the library. Once the door was closed behind them, Gabriel spoke again.

“What the hell was that out there? What is going on with you? And please don’t tell me the same shit you said to dad and Anna. I know you better than that.”

Castiel sighed deeply and took a seat on the couch, burying his face in his hands.  
“I’m having problems in my marriage…” Cas replied.

“What? What the hell are you talking about? Since when? You and Anna had never had a single fight the whole time you’ve been together. Not even before your marriage. What happened now? And why is Anna so oblivious to whatever is going on between the two of you?” Gabriel asked, completely taken aback by his brother’s answer. It was honestly the last thing that he expected to hear.

“Well, that’s part of the problem I guess. We’ve never had a passionate relationship that would lead to jealousy or to a fight. Things are always kind of boring with her”, admitted Castiel.

“Boring? Are you kidding me? A week ago you were head over heels for her. What could have possibly intervened from then to now that would make you find your relationship boring and dull?”

“I met my true mate?” Castiel said hesitantly, staring at his brother.

“What? How… are you serious? You met your true mate while you were alone in New York this week? Oh my God!” said Gabriel and covered his mouth with his hands in disbelief.

“I didn’t say I met my true mate in New York”, said Castiel, carefully.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Who is your true mate? Where did you meet her?” asked Gabriel, urging him to continue.

“Not her… him. A male omega…” said Cas and looked down at the floor, avoiding his brother’s gaze.

“Dean? DEAN? Are you talking about Dean? Are you kidding me? And how did you figure out he’s your true mate? There’s not even such thing”, said Gabriel and started pacing nervously around the room.

“There is… and he is… I can feel it in my heart… I love him”, said Castiel. 

“What the hell are you talking about, Cas? Are you even listening to yourself? You’ve seen the guy twice… a few minutes each time… and you say that you love him? Are you insane? That’s not possible.”

“No, it is possible. He’s my true mate and that makes it possible. I love him… I’m not exaggerating or lying… I… I have to be with him… I need him… I don’t want to be with Anna anymore… I want Dean… he feels the same way about me too…” said Castiel, staring in his brother’s eyes.

“He told you that? He said that he’s in love with you?” asked Gabriel, shocked.

“Well, not exactly… but I could see it in his eyes. He wants me…” said Castiel.

“Wants you? The last time I heard something about Dean, he was having sex with Michael in the backyard. A person who’s in love with someone, doesn’t go around, having sex with other people.”

“He’s still confused… and he’s in heat, of course he would have sex with him. He just doesn’t want to hurt Michael or ruin the wedding and disgrace his family. He wants me… I know he does”, argued Cas.

“Cas? What did he actually tell you?” Gabriel asked, sitting next to his brother and patting him affectionately on his back. 

Castiel just stifled a sob and then spoke.  
“He said that he wants to marry Michael, despite what he feels about me and that we can never be anything more to each other than brothers in law. He said that he thinks Michael will be a good father for his children and that I should have children with Anna”, Castiel said and then let a tear finally run down his face.  
“And now he’s having sex with him… Oh my God!” said Cas and buried his face in his hands, letting more tears fall.

“Cas…” said Gabriel and started stroking his back soothingly.   
“You need to get a grip, man. It looks like Dean has already made his decision. The wedding is in three days… and you also need to think about Michael… but most importantly, you need to think about Anna. You can’t hurt her like that, Cas. She deserves better… Anna loves you. You loved her too, before this infatuation started. I know you still do… You can’t do this to her, Cas.”

“Of course I love her… but I’ll never be happy with her… Not when I know that my true mate is out there. I can’t live without him… after I saw him and spoke to him again, earlier… I became even surer of what he is to me and how I feel about him. I can’t lose him, Gabe… I… This isn’t fair…” said Cas and kept crying.

“You need to, Cas… Dean is marrying our brother. Didn’t you see how protective Michael is of him? You saw what he did to Kali… not that I blame him… but what do you think he would do to you, if he were to find out that you’re trying to steal away his mate? You need to let this go, Cas… for your own good. Dean wants to stay with Michael… it’s clear… and I’ve seen them together. They act really affectionately to each other. I’m sure that he has feelings for Michael. So, please… don’t do this to yourself and don’t bring another mess upon our family.”

“How am I supposed to let this go? How would you feel, if you couldn’t have Kali anymore? If Michael asked you to divorce her?” said Cas.

“First of all, Michael would never do that, because he has absolutely no power over my marriage. And second of all, it’s not the same thing. Kali and I have been married for four years. You just met Dean and talked to him for only two times. He was never yours to begin with. He was and still is Michael’s.

“No… I can’t accept that… Dean is meant for me, not Michael…” argued Cas.

“I don’t think he sees it that way… I’m sorry, Cas… but you have to pull yourself together. ‘Cause you’ll end up hurting everyone…” said Gabriel.  
“Promise me that you won’t do anything stupid. Please, for the love of God… stop pressuring Dean. Just let them be. You already have a wife. Let them mate and be happy.”

Castiel had stopped crying and just stared at his brother without saying a word and after a moment of silence, he got up and left the room, leaving Gabriel alone.

“Crap!” Gabriel muttered then and buried his face in his hands, sighing deeply.

…Α-Ω…

When Castiel got to his room, Anna had already changed into her nightgown and she was preparing herself for bed, applying some lotion on her hands. Castiel just walked in, said nothing to her and started undressing.

Anna kept staring at him and after a while she spoke hesitantly.   
“Cas? About earlier… I didn’t mean to make you feel like I was smothering you… I just… I thought you were unhappy for some reason and I wanted you to tell me, so I could help you get through it… I’m sorry… Please, don’t be mad at me…” she said and got up from the bed, approached him from behind and hugged him, leaning her body on his now naked back, after having removed his shirt, and kissing the back of his neck.

“Anna… please… I’m not in the mood…” he said and pulled himself apart from her.

“And why not?” Anna asked him, irritated.  
“We haven’t seen each other for a week, Cas… When you came home yesterday, you claimed you were tired from the trip and not in the mood, because of everything that happened with Kali and the whole story… Today you’re not in the mood again. Should I take it personally? Are you not in the mood to have sex generally or just with me?” 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Anna… Where did that even come from?” Cas said, while removing his pants and dropping them on a chair in front of the mirror, staying just in his boxers.

“Well, let me think… maybe it’s because since this morning, you haven’t even touched or kissed me once and now you’re pulling yourself away from me again. What should I think? Are you seeing someone else? Is that it?” she asked.

Castiel turned to look at her then and sighed in disbelief.  
“Why would you even think that? I’ve never given you the right to doubt me like that…”

“Yes, but…”

“There are no buts, Anna… What do you want me to say to you? I’m just not in the mood. Is that so frigging bad?” he asked.

“And since when is an alpha not in the mood for sex? You always act like an animal when it comes to sex and now you want me to believe that you’re not in the mood for it?” she asked.

“I’m in my father’s house… my whole family is here… It feels weird, don’t you get it?” Castiel asked, letting an exasperated sigh.

“No, I don’t. Your brother Michael and his mate were doing it in the backyard, for crying out loud… they’re getting ready to mate in a public ceremony and you can’t have sex in our own room, with a locked door?” she asked.

Castiel just looked at her angrily.  
“I don’t care what my brother does with his ‘mate’… I don’t feel comfortable to have sex here… you’ll have to wait until we return to New York… I don’t think I’m asking for too much, am I?” he asked, glaring at her.

“Fine… as you wish…” she said and moved to lie down on the bed. When she was settled under the covers, Castiel followed her too and lied down with his back turned to her.

Anna looked at his back sadly and felt like she wanted to cry, but didn’t.  
“Goodnight”, she said instead, closing her eyes and turning her back to him too.

“Goodnight”, said Cas and closed his eyes. All he could think about, was what Michael and Dean would be doing right now and the idea was driving him crazy. He needed to make Dean see that they were meant to be. He couldn’t let him mate with Michael. ‘I won’t go down without a fight’, he promised himself then. And he wouldn’t.


	14. Family Reunion

The next couple of days, Cas tried and stayed away from Dean. He could see that Dean didn’t want to talk to him and decided to stand down and respect his decision for now, although it was killing him inside. Dean was absolute about not believing in fate and all that stuff and Cas didn’t want to pressure him more than he already had that day, because he’d only make things worse. However, the closer they were getting to the day of the ceremony, the worse he felt inside and wanted to do something to stop it.

Today, was the last day before the wedding and mating ceremony and Dean’s family was about to come all the way from Kansas and stay with them, until the ceremony was completed, whilst Dean’s friends would only come for the day of the great event.

The Novak and the Winchester family were all sitting in the living room, awaiting their guests to arrive and having small talk, when they heard the doorbell ring. Rachel, one of the maids, hurried to open the door then, and after a few seconds, the Campbells appeared in the living room. There were six of them. Dean’s and Sam’s grandparents, Samuel and Deanna and four of their cousins. Gwen, Christian, Mark and Johnny.

“Welcome, my friends… welcome to our house”, said Chuck, getting up from his seat on the couch.  
“Please, come in… I’m Chuck… Michael’s father”, he said, while approaching Samuel and giving him a strong handshake.

“Nice to meet you Chuck… I’m Samuel… Sam’s grandfather”, said Samuel.

Dean started feeling uncomfortable already, hearing his grandfather acknowledge only Sam as his grandson and tightened his grip on Michael’s hand, making the alpha next to him look his way and then stroke his hand with his own. Castiel, like usual, was once more looking at them. 

Chuck realized the reason that Samuel decided to leave out Dean’s name and didn’t comment on it.  
“This is my wife, Deanna and my late brothers’ grandchildren, Christian, Mark, Johnny and the lovely Gwen. The rest couldn’t travel for the wedding, because of their jobs”, said Samuel, pointing at the rest of his family.

“Hello! It’s nice to meet you”, said Deanna in a sweet voice. The rest of them nodded and mumbled a hello.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Deanna…” said Chuck, taking her hand and kissing it.  
“Please, let’s sit…” said Chuck and beckoned to his family to make some room.

“Sam… my boy! You’re huge… When did you get so big? You’re going to grow up and be such a great alpha”, said Samuel, when he reached his grandson, hugging him tightly and then sitting next to him.  
“John?” he said and gave a nod with his head, acknowledging John’s presence, who was sitting at Sam’s other side.

“Hey, Samuel. How was your trip?” said John, pretending to care.

“It was good… Not too tiring”, Samuel answered and then beckoned to his wife, who was going to greet Dean, to come and sit next to him immediately. Deanna gave a small apologizing smile to Dean and then went and sat down next to her husband, after greeting Sam and John.

Once they were all seated, Chuck spoke again.  
“So, forgive me, if I’m wrong, but I couldn’t help but notice that all your grandchildren, I mean the ones of your late brothers, are alphas. Even Gwen… To be honest it’s the first time I meet an alpha woman. It’s quite impressive”, commented Chuck.

“Well, yes… All my grandchildren are alphas. Sam will also be an alpha. Our family always produced alphas. We never had an omega in our family, only a few beta girls. Like my daughter was… I suppose Dean has taken from John’s side of the family. He was always his father’s son, anyway…” said Samuel.

John just gritted his teeth next to Sam, but said nothing. Chuck feeling that he caused a heavy atmosphere, decided to change the subject immediately.

“So, we arranged some rooms for you. It’s a big house… There’s room for everyone. We didn’t want you to stay to a hotel”, said Chuck.

“Thank you… You have a beautiful home here… We’re happy to stay…” said Samuel and then paused.  
“So, when will the ceremony go down?” he asked then.

“Oh, the ceremony will happen tomorrow at sundown. It’s the tradition you see”, said Chuck and smiled.

Samuel nodded and then turned to look at Michael, who was sitting next to Dean, holding his grandson’s hand in his lap.  
“So, you’re Michael. I’ve heard a lot about you… Your company is very successful. It has to do with financial services, am I wrong?” asked Samuel.

“No, sir… You’re not wrong. We’re doing pretty well and we’re still extending. We actually just closed a deal with our biggest competitor, Mr. Crowley McLeod and things are looking great”, said Michael, while stroking Dean’s hand.

Samuel did not miss the gesture and neither did Castiel, who was staring at their joined hands.  
“Well, it’s good to hear that. But, I don’t understand… Why would such a successful businessman like yourself choose not to get married earlier? I’m certain that it was not due to lack of interest from the female population. You are a very good looking young alpha”, said Samuel.

“Uhm… I guess I hadn’t met the right person”, said Michael, turning to look at Dean and smiling. At the sound of his words, Castiel felt like he wanted to rip his own heart right out of his chest.

“And Dean is the right person for you? I understand that his ability to procreate whilst being a man might excite you, but… I haven’t ever heard of anyone, taking a male omega as their legal spouse. At least not in Kansas. This is the first time I’m hearing of such things. Omegas are usually taken as sex slaves or end up in brothels… Why would you want to take one and mate with him in such an honorable ceremony?”

“Excuse me, sir, but this is not how things work here. Omegas are just as respected as you and I are. They’re rare and sacred. You certainly must have heard of what people think of the children that come out of such unions. I won’t allow you to be disrespectful towards my mate… and your grandson might I add…” said Michael, furiously.

“He’s not so much of a grandson now, is he? It would be more accurate to call him my granddaughter…” said Samuel, making Christian and Mark laugh, only to earn a lot of glaring, mostly Michael’s, Castiel’s and Sam’s.

“How dare you?” yelled Michael and stood up.

“Michael, please, baby… just don’t pay attention to him… It’s not worth it”, said Dean, grasping his arm and bringing him to sit down on the couch again. Dean was accustomed to his grandfather’s insults by now and after a while he just stopped paying attention to him.

“Wow… the omega has got you whipped”, said Samuel, earning a hateful glare from Michael.

“Please everyone… let’s just cool it. Mr. Campbell, please, don’t continue. You’re being unfair to Dean, to Michael and to the rest of the family. I don’t want us to fight…” said Chuck, trying to calm everyone down.

“I don’t want to fight either, Mr. Novak. I’m just stating the facts. I told your son only of the public opinion about omegas in Kansas. I don’t understand what he got so worked up about! I’m here, because it’s my duty towards my daughter to attend the ceremony. I didn’t mean to upset your son”, said Samuel.

“Okay, let’s just please not continue this conversation. What do you say I show you around instead?” Chuck asked him.

“It would be my pleasure…” said Samuel and got up from the couch, following Chuck to the garden, along with his wife, who was glancing again apologetically towards Dean.

Once they were out of the room, John stood up as well and went for the stairs.  
“Excuse me… I need to go to my room”, he said, obviously still restraining himself from going after that dick, Samuel. It was apparent that he was pissed and earlier, he let Michael defend Dean, because if he had done it himself, he probably would have killed Samuel.

The moment he left the room, Sam ran after him, excusing himself as well and telling everyone that he’d better go and see, if he was okay.

“Baby?” said Michael then and kissed Dean tenderly on his lips, earning everyone’s attention and especially Castiel’s.  
“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m good...” Dean replied, kissing him again.  
“Don’t worry about it. I’m used to my grandfather being an asshole. He won’t even let me call him grandpa anymore… When I became an omega, he told me to call him Mr. Campbell or sir, but not grandpa or even Samuel”, he said quietly, so that only Michael could hear him.

“Come here”, said Michael then and gave him a tight hug. 

Castiel couldn’t help but stare at the two. The past two days had been torture for him, ‘cause, besides the fact that Dean knew how Cas felt about him, he never tried to be more discreet with his relationship with Michael, when he was in front of him. It could be his way, of course, of making him understand the things he had told him that day and discourage him and prevent him from trying anything.

“Will you be okay, if I leave you with your cousins? I’m really sorry, but something came up and I need to work again…” Michael whispered in Dean’s ear.

“Yeah… I’ll be fine… Just go!” whispered Dean and kissed the alpha’s temple. 

“Okay… I love you… see you soon!” said Michael and got up from the couch.  
“Gabe, Luke and Cas? Could you guys come to the library with me? I need to see with you some papers they sent this morning from New York…” 

“Yeah, sure”, said Gabriel and followed Michael to the library with Castiel, who spared one last look at Dean. Lucifer let out a bored sigh and then got up himself and followed them, leaving behind his wife with Dean, Anna and Dean’s four cousins. But then, Lilith told Anna that she needed her opinion on some new clothes she bought and they left Dean alone to deal with his cousins. 

“So, Dean? What’s it like marrying a millionaire?” asked Gwen then.

“Uh… I don’t know… Is there supposed to be some difference? I guess, he works too much?” answered Dean, finishing with a hesitant question.

“Oh God, you’re so clueless, it’s frustrating!” she said. 

“Please, Gwen… It’s not why Dean is so interested in him, anyway… It’s not his money he’s after, but his big alpha cock… Am I wrong, Dean?” said Christian then and started laughing.

“You’re an idiot, Christian… I don’t know why you even came…” Dean said, glaring at him.

“Oh, please… I wouldn’t miss it for the world… Watch my stupid little cousin getting it up the ass from some alpha in a public ceremony… Ha ha… It’s going to be hilarious… I’m thinking of taking photos with my phone too and posting it on the Internet… What’s the matter, boy? You don’t like hearing the truth? You’re only Michael’s little bitch now, so maybe you should start acting like it and get off your high horse…” said Christian.

“You’re just like grandpa…” said Dean, still glaring at him.

“Mr. Campbell to you… not ‘grandpa’! You know he doesn’t like it, when you call him that… You lost that privilege the moment you turned into a bitch… You’re lucky your father sold you to the Novaks, ‘cause if he hadn’t, grandpa would have taken you and Sam under his wing and he would have sold you to a brothel or something…” said Christian and continued laughing, this time Mark and Johnny joining in.

“My father didn’t sell me, you jerk! I came here and agreed to marry Michael, because I liked him… so, shut your stupid cakehole! I’m not anybody’s property!” said Dean.

“Yeah, right… and this whole ceremony isn’t Michael’s way of showing off he’s new acquisition… You’re so stupid sometimes, cousin!” said Christian.

“Go screw yourself, you jerk!” said Dean, getting up from the couch.

“No, Dean… you still don’t get it. You see… I’m an alpha… I’m only screwing other people… The only one who will be screwed and in front of everyone is you…” said Christian and started laughing again, along with the other two. Only Gwen stayed out of it and didn’t laugh at Dean.

“You’re a dick!” said Dean and left the room, feeling tears forming inside his eyes.

Christian, Mark and Johnny were still laughing after he left, until Gwen decided to speak again.

“You’re impossible, Christian… why did you do that? Why do you always have to make him feel like crap? You shouldn’t make fun of him… and what you said about grandpa was harsh… He already knows how grandpa feels about him… you didn’t have to tell him that. It’s not his fault that he became an omega…” said Gwen.

“Yeah, but it’s his fault that before becoming one, he kept on blabbering about becoming a more powerful alpha than me and some shit… and now… look at him… He’s pathetic… begging for someone’s knot all the time.”

“You’re such a child… So, he hurt your ego once, when he was still a young teenager and now you’re going to make fun of him for the rest of his life and on the day of his wedding? Tomorrow will be a really difficult day for him, regardless… Please, Christian… don’t make it worse…” said Gwen.

“He should have thought about that, earlier. Now, he’s only getting what he deserves”, said Christian and got up from the couch to look around in the house. Both Mark and Johnny following him.

Gwen realized right then that the next day was going to be awful for Dean, if Christian had to say anything about it. She just hoped that he wouldn’t do anything too bad. She had to try and protect Dean somehow. Why did she have to be the only one, except for her grandmother, Deanna, of course, that could see how unfair all this was to Dean? At least she knew that Dean’s friends would also be here tomorrow and perhaps together they could prevent Christian from becoming a bigger ass than he already was.

…Α-Ω…

Castiel had just finished with whatever it was Michael needed his help with and he was headed towards his bedroom, when he heard Dean cry in his and Michael’s bedroom. The moment he did, he immediately went to the door and gave a hesitant knock.

“Just a moment…” came Dean’s voice from inside. Castiel thought that Dean was probably trying to compose himself, before he answered the door.  
“Come in”, came Dean’s voice a minute later.

Cas stepped into the room then and closed the door behind him. The moment Dean saw him, his eyes widened.  
“Cas?” he said in disbelief.  
“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I heard you crying… Are you okay?” said Cas, getting closer to the omega.

“I thought we agreed that you would stay away from me…” said Dean.

“Is it so wrong that I care about you? I just wanted to make sure that you’re okay… I promise I won’t start talking about us, if you don’t want me to… So… are you okay? What’s the matter?” Cas asked, sitting next to Dean on the bed.

“Uhm… it’s just Christian… my asshole cousin… He never really liked me and now he’s here to make fun of me again… My whole family thinks I’m worthless, now that I’m an omega… You heard my grandfather earlier… They don’t even try to hide how they feel about me… I don’t even know why they came… It’s clear that I’m embarrassing them…” said Dean and held back a sob.

“They’re wrong… You know that, right? You are extraordinary and wonderful… and I’m not just saying it, because I’m in love with you… This couple of days, I’ve come to know you a little better and although it was from afar, I’ve seen how exceptional you are”, said Cas, searching for Dean’s eyes.

“Please, man… you can’t say stuff like this… You promised that you wouldn’t talk about us…” said Dean, avoiding Cas’ gaze.

“Sorry… it slipped… It’s just how I feel.”

“Thank you, anyway… It’s nice to know that there’s at least one person who doesn’t see me as a waste…” 

“What are you talking about? There are lots of people who love you and who, of course, don’t see you like that… You’re not a waste, Dean. Your father and brother know that… My whole family knows that… Michael, even though I hate to admit it, cares about you very much and defended you back there… and I think that your grandmother feels the same way… She’s just scared to stand up to Samuel. I’m sure you have a lot of friends too, who feel the same way… who love you just the way you are…” said Cas, smiling at him.

“Yeah… it’s true… my friends are awesome… They didn’t turn their backs on me, when I became an omega… like many of the other kids at school did… As for my father… I’m not so sure… I think he feels embarrassed about me… even though he doesn’t say it or show it like Samuel did”, said Dean, staring at his hands.

“You’re wrong… When Samuel started telling all those crap, your father was ready to rip his head off, but he let my brother defend you instead, so that he wouldn’t cause a scene… I’m sorry that I didn’t tell him anything myself… I just didn’t think it was my place… If you were my mate, I would have punched him in the face…” said Cas, making Dean smile.

“Well, it’s a good thing that you’re not then… You would have started a vendetta… My grandpa is a really vindictive person… you wouldn’t want him as your enemy…” said Dean, still smiling.

“I don’t know about that… I could have taken all of Samuel’s hate, if it meant I could be your mate… the way I’m supposed to be…” said Cas and lowered his eyes sadly.

“Cas… don’t… you promised, remember?” said Dean, looking at him.

“Yeah… sorry… I’m only here to make you feel better, I swear…”

“Thank you… it means a lot to me that you’re here, even if it is only as a friend… I’m glad that you can be that for me…”

“Well, it’s not without its difficulties, but I’m handling it…” said Cas, smiling. 

“If things were different… I’d be honored to have you as my mate…” said Dean then, out of the blue.

“Yeah, I know… I would be honored to have you as my mate too”, said Cas, smiling sadly, causing Dean to stare at him for a while.

“You can go now, if you want… I’m okay… I’ll see you at lunch…” said Dean and Cas got up from where he was sitting on the bed.

“If you need anything… whatever it is… come and find me, okay? I want you to know that I’m always here for you… even if it’s just as a friend”, Cas said, when he reached the room’s door.

“Thank you… I will…” said Dean. 

Cas smiled and left him, once more, alone in the room. Dean was happy that Cas wanted to be his friend. This way, he didn’t have to lose him altogether. He knew that one way or another, Cas would always be a part of his life and that was a good thing.


	15. Mating Ceremony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A part of this chapter is the wedding ceremony. It consists of vows and blessings that happen during a Christian marriage, which I found on the internet, but it is altered at some points to fit the story. Please don't hate me for it! I wasn't trying to be blasphemous or anything! Sorry!!!  
> Anyway, you can skip that part, if you don't want to read it and get to the actual mating ceremony that comes right after the wedding!  
> I hope you enjoy it! I'm loving all your comments and the kudos!  
> Thanks for reading my story!!! XO

The day passed without further incidents. Everyone was, of course, still tensed from earlier, but they tried to control themselves and not fight. Tomorrow everything would be over, anyway, and they wouldn’t have to keep dealing with each other anymore. 

Christian was giving Dean these mocking looks all day, but Dean tried to pay no attention to him, concentrating on his food or on Michael. There were moments that he’d find Castiel looking sympathetically towards him and he’d smile at the other man, thanking him for caring and others that he’d see Castiel stare at nothing and have a sad expression on his face, knowing too well that he was the one to put it there. That look on Castiel’s face made him often wonder that day, if he was doing the right thing. But every time that thought crossed his mind, he would look at his brother and his father and then at Michael and he’d decide that yes, marrying Michael was the right thing to do. 

That night was the only night that he slept apart from Michael. He was instead put in the same room with his brother to keep up appearances, ‘cause they didn’t want to scandalize his grandfather, who seemed to believe that there was nothing going on between Dean and Michael yet. Thankfully, his heat seemed to have reached an end. All the crying and the stress seemed to have affected him and make him lose any appetite for sex. At least there was one positive thing to come out of that day. Heat or not heat, however, the day to follow would be hard as hell for Dean and that thought kept him up all night.

…Α-Ω…

It was almost time. The sun would be down in over an hour and Dean was getting ready in the room they put him the previous day with his brother. His friends were all around him and they were watching as Inias, the servant, was painting his body with gold paint, while he was sitting completely naked on a chair and was hiding his private parts with his hands. Kind of an unnecessary move, considering they would soon see a lot more of him.

“You’re gonna be so beautiful! I have to admit that gold suits you”, came Charlie’s voice, who was leaning against the closet door.

“I prefer the color of my own skin, but thank you anyway”, said Dean, blushing, while looking at her.

“Are you nervous, brother?” asked Benny.

“What do you think? I feel like there are lions waiting to devour me out there…” said Dean.

“You don’t have to worry, man… You know that we’ll be there for you… Whenever you feel like you can’t take it… Just look at us…” said Ash.

“Yeah, Ash is right… You know that we won’t make fun of you and that we’ll support you. So, if you feel like you need to look at someone for distraction, look at us… Or even better, just concentrate on your mate… he’s so handsome and dreamy… I don’t think that it will be a problem…” commented Jo.

“Yeah, thanks for the tip… but I don’t think that I’ll be able to concentrate much on Michael’s face… He’ll be wearing a wolf helmet that covers up his whole face… He’ll only take it off to make the mark on my neck…”

“Oh, dear… That’s kinda kinky, especially for a wedding… And that’s coming from me… the queen of kinky!” said Charlie.

“What? You’ve never done anything like it with that Dorothy chick?” asked Benny and smirked.

“Dorothy and I have done plenty, thank you very much, but dressing as wolves hasn’t made an appearance in our kinky sex to do list yet. However, if I like what I see today, I might add it…” she said and Ash whistled. 

“Are you serious? You and Dorothy have a kinky sex to do list?” said Benny.  
“Damn girl… you know how to have fun.”

“I know… I’m brilliant… It’s a problem!”

“Oh, God! I’ve missed all your goofiness, guys! Everyone is so serious around here…” said Dean, lifting up his right arm for Inias to paint under it.

“Well, it might have something to do with the fact that everyone is so old…” said Charlie.

“They’re not old… Michael is only twelve years older than me… His brothers are even younger”, argued Dean.

“Only? Look, I know he’s still young… No one is considered old at thirty… but I guess… I just feel that you’re too young for all this. I never thought that you’d get married at eighteen, Dean… You’ve barely lived your life… You haven’t even tried to live by yourself, away from your dad, yet… and now you are handed to your husband… It’s not how I pictured our lives to be, after we’d finish high school… I thought that we still had time to be goofy and not always so responsible for a while… All the gang, together… Now, I feel like you’ll need to take your husband’s approval every time we want to hang out… It’s just not fair… You didn’t have the chance to meet any other boy or girl… He’ll be your first and your last and I doubt the same thing applies for him”, said Charlie.

“I’m okay… I’ve made peace with it… I don’t mind… Michael is a good man… He cares about me and respects me. I don’t think he’d ever keep me away from you, guys…” said Dean.

“Yes, but still… aren’t you at least curious of how your life could be? I mean… what if you have a true mate out there, somewhere and marrying Michael prevents you from ever finding him or her?” asked Charlie, making all color drain from Dean’s face. He knew he had a true mate… sort of… he still didn’t want to call Cas as such… he didn’t want to believe that there was such thing as true mates.

“You know I don’t believe in such things… Who knows? Maybe I got lucky and found the perfect guy and so early in my life, without even trying… I like Michael… I can see us happy in the future…” said Dean, after composing himself. He wasn’t ready to tell his friends about Cas and most certainly, not in front of Inias.

“True enough… Michael does look perfect”, said Jo.

“Hey Jo… there’s some drool at the side of your mouth”, said Ash, earning a light punch on his arm by Jo.

“What? He is! It’s not a bad thing to admit something that is so obvious… Don’t worry, Dean… I won’t try and steal him away from you…” said Jo, turning to look at Dean and making him smile.

“Sir, it’s time to paint your… most private parts now… I’m done with the rest of you…” came Inias’ voice from beside him, bringing an end to the conversation he was having with his friends.

“Uh, okay… Guys you can go outside at the garden and wait for the ceremony to start… I’ll see you in a while, okay?” said Dean, turning his attention back to his friends.

“Okay, brother… Be strong… We’ll see you in a while…” said Benny and then everyone followed, waving Dean ‘goodbye’ for the time being.

…Α-Ω…

It was half an hour later and the ceremony was about to begin. Michael was standing along with a priest, underneath an arch, decorated with flowers, in front of the platform, which was finally completed and was coated with white fur all over. Michael was also painted with gold paint, just like Dean was, and he was wearing a sort of white tunic, which was the traditional costume in mating ceremonies. In front of him and the platform were two rows of benches, ten on each side of an aisle, where the guests were sitting, waiting for Dean to appear and the ceremony to begin. Violins were playing at the background, a little further away from the guests and even further than that was the huge wedding tent, where they’d go and feast afterwards.

It was the first time that Michael felt so nervous in his life and he kept on glancing at where his father was sitting in the front row, along with his brothers and their wives. Gabriel, Lucifer and Lilith, Anna and… ‘Where is Castiel?’ Michael wondered and started looking around, confused, to find his brother, but he was nowhere in sight. While he was looking for Cas, however, his eye caught Dean appearing at the other side of the aisle and starting slowly to come his way, guided by his father who was right next to him. Dean looked amazing, wearing a tunic similar to Michael’s and wearing a golden crown of leaves on his dirty blonde hair. At the sight of him, Michael felt his heart starting to beat faster and soon, he found himself standing in front of his husband to be, looking lovingly inside his green eyes. John then placed his son’s hand in Michael’s own and spoke.

“I offer you my son with all my blessings… Take care of him”, said John, looking at Michael in the eye with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Thank you… I promise I will”, said Michael, taking hold of both Dean’s hands and turning to look at the priest with him, while Dean’s father went to take a seat in the front row of the benches, next to Sam.

***  
Pastor Gideon cleared his throat then and spoke.  
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this company, to join together this Alpha and this Omega in holy Matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church: which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee, and is commended of Saint Paul to be honorable among all men: and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God. 

These two persons present come now to be joined. If any man can show just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace”, said the pastor and then after a while filled with silence turned again to Michael and Dean.

“I require and charge you both, as ye will answer at the dreadful day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if either of you know any impediment, why ye may not be lawfully joined together in Matrimony, ye do now confess it. For be ye well assured, that if any persons are joined together other than as God's Word doth allow, their marriage is not lawful”, he said and then turned to look at Michael.

“Michael, wilt thou have this Omega to thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”

“I will”, answered Michael, looking in Dean’s eyes.

“Dean, wilt thou have this Alpha to thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”

Dean looked around for a second, catching his father’s eye and then turned back to look at Michael and finally spoke.  
“I will.”

Pastor Gideon nodded and then signaled Michael to take with his right hand Dean’s right hand and asked him to repeat after him.  
“I Michael…” said the pastor.

“I Michael…” repeated Michael, looking in Dean’s eyes.

“Take thee Dean, to my wedded Husband…”

“Take thee Dean, to my wedded Husband…”

“To have and to hold from this day forward…”

“To have and to hold from this day forward…” said Michael, smiling at Dean.

“For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.”

“For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.”

After they let their hands loose again, Dean took Michael’s right hand with his own right hand and repeated after the Pastor.

“I Dean take thee Michael to my wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward…” said Pastor Gideon.

“I Dean take thee Michael to my wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward…” said Dean, looking in Michael’s eyes.

“For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.”

“For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth”, finished Dean and Michael smiled sweetly at him.

Gabriel stood up then and gave the rings to the Pastor.  
“And the Alpha shall give unto the Omega a Ring in this wise”, said the Pastor and gave Michael Dean’s ring and Michael placed it upon the fourth finger of Dean’s left hand and then holding the ring there, he said.

“With this Ring I thee wed: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen”, said Michael and then Dean took Michael’s ring and did the same and repeated the same words.

“With this Ring I thee wed: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen”, he said.

“Now let us pray…” said the Pastor and everyone started praying with him.

“Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, On Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen”, they finished and then the Pastor continued.

“O Eternal God, Creator and Preserver of all mankind, Giver of all spiritual grace, the Author of everlasting life; Send thy blessing upon these thy servants, this Alpha and this Omega, whom we bless in thy Name; that they, living faithfully together, may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made, and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together, and live according to thy laws; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen”, he said and then joined Michael’s and Dean’s right hands and continued.

“For as much as Michael and Dean have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth, each to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving a Ring, and by joining hands; I pronounce that they are Husbands, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen”, he finished and then both Dean and Michael kneeled before him to receive his last blessing.

“God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve, and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you, and fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace; that ye may so live together in this life, that in the world to come ye may have life everlasting. Amen”, he said and after Dean and Michael were again on their feet, he added.

“You may kiss each other”, he said and Michael and Dean did just that, listening as everyone clapped.  
***

After congratulating them both, the Pastor excused himself and left, in order for the traditional mating ceremony to take place, which wasn’t really his scene or the church’s for that matter. The mating ceremony between an Alpha and an Omega was something that the Church tolerated, but wasn’t really okay with. So, after the arch was removed from the front of the platform, Chuck joined Michael and Dean, getting between them and holding their hands in his own.

“My friends… today is a happy day for me and my family. My oldest son has finally found his husband. They are already married in the eyes of God, but the mating bond is yet to be completed. They’re not mates yet in the physical form and as the tradition orders, the final claim of the Alpha upon the Omega that consummates the marriage and the mating bond must happen in the face of this selected company of family and friends that also witnessed the wedding. So, Michael and Dean will get on the carefully formed platform and consummate their marriage and mate with each other before you, right about now that the sun is ready to set and disappear completely from our eyes. Under your seats, you will find golden masquerade masks, which you are kindly requested to wear in order to make the couple feel more comfortable during their act. When the act is completed, you may pass in front of the couple and congratulate them and offer your wedding gifts. After that, we will proceed to the wedding tent for the feast. That is all… thank you for your attention… The mating ceremony may begin”, said Chuck letting go of Michael’s and Dean’s hands and sitting again on his seat.

Michael took Dean’s trembling hand then and together they got up on the platform. When they reached the middle, Michael undid the lacing on Dean’s tunic and let it fall to the ground, revealing Dean’s perfectly carved and muscular body under the gold paint. Michael simply stared at Dean’s beauty, until Dean with clumsy hands undid the lacing of his own tunic and let it fall to the ground as well. Michael got close to Dean’s body then, took him in his arms and kissed him passionately. Dean could already feel Michael harden against his thigh and let a low moan escape his lips. The golden wolf’s helmet was lying at their feet, but instead of picking it up and wearing it, Michael decided to ignore it and pushed it away with his right foot. Next, he sat on the ground and took Dean on his lap, placing the omega’s feet around his waist and continued kissing him softly. He didn’t want to wear the helmet, because he needed this intimacy with Dean, to make him feel better and not used and disgraced before his family. And it seemed to work. Dean had relaxed in his arms and on his lap and was reciprocating to Michael’s kisses and touches.

Michael moved his right hand then behind Dean’s back and lowered it carefully and slowly to Dean’s asscrack and then circled his hole with his digit. After playing with it a little and barely breaching it with his finger, he felt Dean getting wet and the moment he was sure Dean was wet enough and he could take it, he pushed his digit inside slowly, until it was fully buried within Dean. As they continued kissing, he worked his finger in and out of Dean a few times and then placed a second finger inside, making Dean moan low in his throat. After a while, Dean had become fully hard himself and was rocking his hips on Michael’s fingers. Quickly enough, Michael took out his fingers and slowly lifted Dean from his lap with one hand and then positioned the head of his cock to Dean’s hole with the other. When Dean felt Michael’s cock, he didn’t have to be told and lowered himself on his now husband’s dick, until he felt Michael’s balls right on the skin of his ass. Michael hugged him tightly then and after giving him a kiss, Dean started riding him, making everyone in the audience gasp in surprise. 

This wasn’t a traditional position for a mating ceremony. Usually the Omega would be on his knees and the Alpha would fuck him like he was a dog from behind… or as a wolf, as the helmet suggested. But Michael decided that he didn’t want anything that would disgrace Dean in front of his family and their guests and decided to ditch the stupid helmet and be gentle with him with his kisses and then let him ride him, giving him full control. It’s not like his father could tell him anything. He hadn’t mentioned the position that they should take during the mating, because he considered it as something obvious and so Michael found a loophole to make Dean feel more comfortable.

Dean was riding him hard now and they were both gasping and letting little moans escape their lips, while they were fucking. Michael’s arms were moving up and down Dean’s back and Dean’s hands were locked on Michael’s hair, pulling it lightly as he was fucking his mouth with his tongue. Michael could hear whispers at the audience and knew that they were probably talking about the fact that he gave Dean so much power and let him run the show, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was the feel of Dean’s body against his own, of Dean’s lips on his own and the battle of their tongues in their mouths and last and most important, the feel of Dean’s ass around his cock. 

Unlike all the previous times they had sex, Dean didn’t come early and harden again, like he usually did. It must have been the fact that he was no longer in heat and Michael enjoyed the pace that he had set and was like he was running with Dean towards his completion. Fifteen minutes later of that sweet torture and they both felt getting closer and closer. Michael tightened his grip on Dean and brought him even closer to his body, if that was even possible and a couple of minutes later, he felt his precious omega coming all over his chest and his asshole clenching and unclenching furiously around his cock, while he continued to fuck himself on Michael’s member. 

That did it for Michael and he soon followed Dean, spilling his sperm inside him and feeling his knot swelling inside his omega’s ass, while he kept kissing and licking Dean’s neck. Finally, when he felt Dean’s wall’s around him milk the last drop of his sperm from his cock and his knot swelling to its fullest, locking them together for the next half hour or so, he bit hard on Dean’s neck, at the point he was earlier kissing, sucking and licking, letting blood run down his lover’s body, marking him as his own and completing the mating bond. That was supposed to be the end of the ceremonial mating, but to his surprise and more importantly everyone else’s, Dean did the same to Michael’s neck -something that he wasn’t supposed to do- biting hard and marking him as his own for the world to see, even though Michael was an Alpha.

At the sudden pain on his neck, Michael moved his hand fast on the wound that was created by Dean’s teeth and then, when he brought it again to his front, he looked stunned at the blood that was now covering it. Dean was afraid that he had screwed up at that moment and hurried to bury his face in the other side of Michael’s neck, not daring to look at him in the eye, letting the Alpha keep staring at his bloody hand. After a moment, Michael, realizing that Dean felt frightened, moved his hands around the omega’s back and hugged him closely, rubbing soothing circles on his back and feeling Dean relax again under his touch. They both seemed to have forgotten all about the people that were still watching them and only became aware of them, when Chuck cleared his throat, to get his son’s attention, as well as everyone else’s, who were still whispering and gossiping.

“So, that brings us to the end of the ceremony. The mating is now completed and once the boys are in order again and covered with a sheet or their tunics, you can go up and congratulate them and give them your presents. Thank you all for being here…” finished Chuck and everyone started clapping awkwardly.

The hardest part of the ceremony was now over, but the hardest part of their marriage was awaiting them in the near future. Besides the Pastor’s blessings, their married life was going to be full of difficulties. Difficulties that would start at that very day. The day of their wedding.


	16. Wedding Reception

The minute Chuck was done with his speech, Dean felt a sudden fear inside him. He was already far too exposed, but the fact that he had to face his family, while he was still joined with Michael and after doing all that with him, was far more scaring. So, feeling his heart beating fast, he held on to Michael tightly and hid his face in the crook of the other man’s neck. Michael, realizing his discomfort, from the way Dean stiffened in his arms, rubbed his back softly again and brought his lips to Dean’s ear to whisper soothing words to him.

“Sshhh… it’s okay, baby! Don’t be afraid… it will be over soon”, said Michael and then kissed Dean’s ear.

Dean just wrapped his arms and legs around him even tighter.

“I love you so much… you were so brave and so beautiful…” he went on and kissed Dean’s cheek.

“Sir?” came a voice from behind Dean.

“We brought this sheet to cover yourselves up and this chair for you to sit, but… I don’t know how you will manage that with the position you’re currently at”, the voice continued. It was Inias with another servant that Dean couldn’t see, ‘cause he was facing the other way. 

“Just give me the sheet and go find a chair without arms, so I can sit with Dean in my lap, the way we’re sitting now”, said Michael, taking the sheet from him and covering Dean and himself with it. The moment Dean felt the sheet covering his body, he immediately felt more relaxed and loosened his hold on Michael a little, making the Alpha smile at him.

“Do you feel better?” asked Michael and kissed his hair above his ear.

“Yeah… I do… thank you…” said Dean and gave a light kiss on Michael’s neck.

“For what?” said Michael, smiling.

“For protecting me… for caring so much about me… I know that that’s not the way the ceremony was supposed to go down. It was supposed to be much more humiliating for me, but you didn’t let it… I’m sorry for the bite… I wasn’t thinking…” Dean said and took a deep breath, breathing in his mate’s scent.

“It’s okay… Now everyone knows that you’re mine and I’m yours. It doesn’t happen often, but there are Alphas with claiming marks from their mates”, said Michael, reassuringly.

“Even Alphas that have male Omegas as their mates?” asked Dean.

“It doesn’t matter what you are. You’re my mate… you have every right to claim me the same way I did with you… I love you…” Michael said and made Dean look at him and then gave him a sweet kiss on the lips.

“We have the chair, sir… If you’re ready you can sit, so that the guests can come and congratulate you…” came Inias’ voice from behind Dean.

“Thank you, Inias… we’ll get right on that”, said Michael and then gave Dean one last kiss on the lips, before trying to stand up with him.

“Okay, I’m gonna try and stand up and you have to hold onto me. Wrap your legs tightly around my waist, so that you won’t fall… Are you ready?”

“Yeah… I’m good” said Dean and buried his face again in Michael’s neck.

Michael stood up easily, then, making it look like it was so effortless and carried Dean in his strong arms, until he sat on a chair with a high back but with no arms. Once they were seated, Michael rearranged the sheet around them and gave Inias a nod that they were ready to receive their guests.

…Α-Ω…

The firsts to arrive were Dean’s family. His father and his brother.  
John just stood awkwardly above them both, still a little red in the face from before and waited for Dean to acknowledge his presence, so that he could congratulate them and give them his gift.  
Dean, however, wasn’t looking at them. He had his back turned towards them and he had his face safely buried in Michael’s neck, like a small child falling asleep on its parent’s shoulder. 

“Dean, honey? Your father and brother are here to congratulate us…” Michael said and rubbed Dean’s back a little. Dean didn’t respond, though, and that’s when Michael felt something wet on his neck and he knew that Dean was crying. So, with an apologetic smile, he gave a nod to John, to go on and say what he had to say. The moment John realized what the matter was and after placing a hesitant hand on his son’s back, he finally spoke.

“Dean… I know that this is probably the most difficult thing you ever had to do in your life… I want you to know that I’m really proud of you… no matter what… You and Sam are the best sons I could ever ask for… You need to know that it doesn’t matter that you are an omega to me. I love you all the same… I know that you accepted to go through with this ceremony, because I asked you to… you have absolutely no reason to feel ashamed. You have a truly great mate and I’m glad that you found him… even under the circumstances… I love you very much”, he finished and Michael felt Dean sob even more on his neck.

Then, John, after letting his hand drop from Dean’s back turned to look at Michael.  
“Michael… I know what you did today and I want to thank you… You tried to protect my son and for that I’m grateful to you… For me you are now part of my family, another son… I wish you two every happiness! Live your lives with love and respect for each other… I’m really proud of both of you… You know that I’m not a rich man and I have to take care of Sammy too… but… this is a bank account that I opened in Dean’s name, with some savings I had…” he said, giving an envelope to Michael.  
“It isn’t much… I put two thousand dollars in it… for Dean… I know that you can provide him anything he might need, but… it’s a little something, if he wants to… you know… after deciding what he wants to do with his life… start a business of his own… or just to buy clothes for my first grandkid… whatever he wants…” said John and a tear ran down his face.

Dean sobbed even harder and Michael, obviously moved, thanked him.  
“Thank you so much, John… your words mean a lot to us… Your gift is most welcome…” said Michael and tried to make Dean relax in his arms and stop crying.

“Please, call me father…” said John and paused.  
“I love you so much, Dean”, he said then and swiftly kissed Dean’s hair, before getting down from the platform, where the chair –which Michael and Dean were sitting on- was placed, feeling his eyes tearing up even more.

Sam, who was standing right beside his father this whole time, was the next one to speak.  
“I want to wish you every happiness too… Please take care of my brother… Dean really needs you to… I… I didn’t have much money to get you a better gift, but… this is a frame to put your first family photo inside… I just thought…” said Sam, but Michael interrupted him.

“It’s great, Sam… thank you… You didn’t have to buy us anything. I’m sure Dean appreciates it as much as I do… You have to forgive him, though, he’s just a little moved and the stress of the day is finally catching up to him”, Michael said, feeling Dean as he continued sobbing on his neck.

“No, it’s okay… I love you, Dean… I’m here, whenever you need me”, he said and stroked his brother’s hair, before getting down from the platform.

And so it went on. The rest of the family and their friends passed right in front of them and congratulated them, giving them their gifts, until they were all done. Dean’s grandfather and his cousins didn’t dare to make any disrespectful comment this time in front of Michael, fearing of his reaction. The way he was glaring at them, when they came to congratulate them, was enough to make them hold back any comment they might have had in their minds. Christian was simply looking forward to the moment he would get Dean alone. 

The whole time they spent receiving congratulations and gifts, Michael was left alone to deal with the situation. Dean had his face buried in Michael’s neck and most of the time he was crying quietly. The guests kept hearing ‘he’s just too moved’ and ‘he’s too tired’ and they left the omega alone, while they turned all of their attention to Michael. Once they were all done, however, Michael turned his face to the side and gave Dean a sweet kiss on his temple.

“Baby? It’s okay… there are no others left… you can relax now”, he said, while seeing the last of the guests entering the wedding tent and stroked Dean’s back softly. However, the omega made no attempt to move.  
“Hey… hey… it’s okay”, Michael said and kissed him again.  
“I think my knot has gone down enough to pull out… if you’re ready, we can part… We can go to our room and have a nice hot bath to wash off all this ridiculous paint from our bodies and then wear normal clothes… Hmm? What do you say? Babe?” said Michael, while stroking Dean’s short hair from the back of his head. 

Dean, then, moved his face from Michael’s neck for the first time after a while and when he met Michael's eyes, his were puffy from all the crying.

“Yeah… okay”, he said and wiped his running nose with the back of his hand. 

Michael just looked at him and smiled and then kissed his forehead. With one careful move, he pulled out of Dean, letting some of Dean’s slick and some of his sperm leak out, and then, even though, they were now separated, Michael placed one hand under Dean’s knees and the other one on the omega’s back and carried him inside the house, bridal style. 

Once they were inside their room, Michael let the sheet drop from their bodies and took Dean to the bathroom, placing him carefully inside the bathtub and then after getting in himself, right behind Dean, he opened the water to fill it up. Next, he used slow motions to wash Dean’s skin from the paint, rubbing it with a loofa sponge and body wash and then washed the omega’s hair with shampoo. The moment Michael started washing him, Dean felt a lot better and by the end, he was a lot more relaxed and even washed up Michael in return. After they finished their mutual bath in silence, they got back in the room and they both got dressed in two of Michael’s suits and then decided to go back to the party.

“So, are you ready?” asked Michael, while standing in front of the room’s door, ready to open it.

“As ready as I’ll ever be…” answered Dean, and with a smile, Michael took his hand and then they both walked out of their room and back to the garden.

…Α-Ω…

It was one hour later and they were all enjoying themselves. There were people dancing on the dance floor and others sitting at their tables, eating and drinking and having a laugh. That’s when Michael suddenly realized that his brother Castiel was still nowhere to be seen and that he never saw him during the ceremony either.

“Anna? Where is Cas? I haven’t seen him all night…” said Michael, sitting down at his brothers’ table on the chair right next to her.

“Cas and I had a fight, before the wedding began… I… he was in a weird mood all day today and… I don’t know if he ever left our room… I don’t understand him…” Anna said, obviously sad, because of the situation.

“Don’t worry… he’ll come around… I’ve noticed that he’s been acting weird too, but… I didn’t know things were so bad… You’ll see, though… tomorrow he’ll be over whatever it is that’s been bothering him…” he said and watched as Dean passed by the Campbells’ table and his grandfather gripped his arm and made him sit down with them. If he saw any discomfort on Dean’s face, he would get up and go to him, but for now he decided to let him be with his family and spend some time with his brothers himself.

 

“Dean… come sit here with us… I wanna talk to you…” said his grandfather, while gripping Dean’s arm. Dean looked around and saw Christian smirk at the other side of the round table.

“Uh… okay…” said Dean and sat down on a chair next to his grandfather. Samuel put his hand on Dean’s back of the neck, making him feel trapped and uncomfortable, but saying nothing about it. 

“So… we didn’t have the chance to talk earlier… you were… pretty emotional, from what I gathered, back there…” said Samuel and tightened his grip on his grandson’s neck a little, making him tense a little more.

“Well, he is an omega, isn’t he? He’s just a whiny little bitch and he showed us exactly that…” came Christian’s voice from the other side of the table.

“Christian, no one asked for your opinion… Stay silent… I’m trying to have a conversation here…” said Samuel, shutting Christian up and then turned his attention back to Dean.

“It was an interesting ceremony… Michael must really like you to give you so much control… he really cares about you…” said Samuel, confusing Dean with his nice behavior and feeling strange as his grandfather’s hand petted his hair. 

“Uh… yes, he does…” said Dean, eyeing his grandfather suspiciously.

“Would you say that he likes you so much that he would do anything you asked him to?” asked Samuel, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t know… Why are you asking me?” Dean said, obviously confused.

“Look Dean… we’re family… you are my grandson and…”

“Your grandson? I thought you were calling me your granddaughter now…” said Dean, starting to get angry.

“It was just a joke, Dean… it’s not my fault that you and Michael have no sense of humor.”

“Humor? You’re calling that humor? Thank you, but that’s Christian’s, Johnny’s and Mark’s kind of thing… I myself don’t laugh with that kind of crap.”

“Look Dean… I know I said some harsh stuff yesterday, but it’s not the way I see things… I was simply talking about the public opinion on the subject… nothing more…”

“The public opinion? Are you kidding me? You asked me to stop calling you grandpa the minute I turned, because you were ashamed of me… What the hell are you going on about, now?” said Dean.

“It was my mistake and I need to apologize for that… It was wrong of me… You can call me grandpa and anything else you like… you’re my daughter’s son… I miss her, Dean… and you and Sam are everything I have left of her… She wouldn’t want us to fight… we’re family…”

“Is this conversation going somewhere?” said Dean, looking bored.

“Uh…yes… Uhm… Now that you are married to Michael, I think that it’s the right thing to welcome him also into the family…”

“Welcome him into the family? What family?” asked Dean.

“Ours, silly… He’s now like a grandson to me… I know that he is a leader of a different clan and that you, your father and Sam have entered that clan now… but that doesn’t mean that we’re not still family…”

“Okay? So what?”

“We’ve been having some difficulties lately… with our business and we need to find some money and soon, if we want to keep things running… Your mother had worked so hard for the family business, Dean… you wouldn’t want it to be destroyed, would you? …So, I was thinking… that maybe, you could ask Michael to lend us the money… I mean… it’s not like he’ll miss it… he’s got plenty and I’m only asking for a loan… we’ll pay him back, eventually. He could help us, now that he is part of our family.”

Dean laughed a bitter laugh, then.  
“Wow… you’re really something else… you know that? You’re asking me for money? Is that what this is all about? Is that why you’re letting me call you grandpa again, all the sudden and you want us to be a family? Welcome Michael into the family? Are you fucking kidding me, Samuel?”

“Dean… you misunderstood… That’s not what I meant… that’s not why I said everything I said… I really mean it… I want us to be a family again…”

“No, I understood perfectly… You saw that Michael sincerely cares about me and is not treating me like his bitch and now you want to gain a profit out of my relationship with him… But let me tell you something, ‘grandpa’… despite what everyone might think, I didn’t marry him for his money, but because I like him… I wouldn’t even ask him money for myself or my father… you really think that I would ask him money for you? You know that the only reason I got married so fast and so young was to keep myself and my family away from you, right?” said Dean, furiously.

“How dare you speak to our grandfather like that, you bitch?” said Christian.

“Oh, shut up, Christian… he’s not even your grandfather, not really… and if he is ashamed to call me his grandson, then I am ashamed to call him my grandfather… Grandma, I’m sorry, but besides you, I don’t want anything to do with this family… Ever since mom died, Samuel has been acting like an asshole to me and to my father… Like it’s his fault that she died… What I know is that Azazel’s family had a beef with the Campbells and that my mother was the one to pay the price… You’ve been all accusing my father for her death, but it was you who got her into this… and now I’m without a mother and I have to take your insults on top of that? Hell no! If you don’t want to treat me like a grandson, then go somewhere else and look for money… ‘cause you’re not getting any money from me…” said Dean and left the table.

…Α-Ω…

Michael could see that there was some problem, but it was clear that Dean had it under control and that he could defend himself just fine. He didn’t want to go there and make him seem weak. Dean might were an omega, but he was capable of standing up for himself and from the looks on all the Campbells’ faces, it was clear that he had won this battle. 

As Michael was looking towards the Campbells table and everything that was going on with Dean and his grandfather –without being able to listen to them, of course- he saw Cas, finally getting inside the wedding tent for the first time that night. Cas was wearing a suit, but he looked kind of a mess. His hair were more tangled and messy than usual and it was clear that he hadn’t shaved that day or the day before, for that matter. He was wearing a tie, but he had it hanging undone from his neck, while his dress shirt was out of his pants with the first few buttons also undone. The moment Michael took in his appearance, he immediately knew that his brother was drunk, getting more positive about it with every shaky step Cas took inside the tent.

“Oh God… Cas is here and he’s smashed. What the hell is wrong with him? Why is he drunk?” said Michael and immediately everyone at the table turned to look at Cas, who was standing by the wedding cake alone, laughing to himself and drinking a glass of champagne he took from a waiter that was passing by.

Anna just sighed deeply and Gabriel seemed terrified. Lucifer and Lilith just found Cas’ appearance amusing.

“Oh no… what is the idiot doing? He’s going for the microphone…” said Gabriel, as he watched Cas getting up on the stage, where the band was playing music and getting the singer’s microphone, making them stop. It was only then that Dean noticed Castiel’s presence, as he was talking to his brother Sam and at once he sent a mortified glance towards Michael, who caught his eye.

“Dear friends and family…” said Cas and started laughing.  
“May I have your attention? I just realized that the ceremony came and went and I haven’t congratulated my beloved brother, Michael and… his lovely mate, Dean… on their wedding… So, I would like to propose a toast…” he went on and kept laughing, while rubbing nervously his forehead. Gabriel got up then and ran to the stage, grabbing Cas’ arm and dragging him to get down.  
“No, Gabe… let go of me… I want to propose a toast…” he said and Gabriel let go of his arm, but stayed right next to him, nonetheless.  
“So, Michael… I want to tell you what a lucky bastard you are… for having Dean… Dean… you never deserved Dean…” said Cas.

“Cas, please stop… You are going to regret what you’re doing… You’re making a fool of yourself. Stop talking… just come down with me”, insisted Gabriel, going for his arm again.

“No… NO, Gabriel… I have to finish my toast…”

Michael was looking at him confused, waiting to hear what his brother had to say, while Dean was looking at him shocked. All the guests were talking to each other, scandalized by the appearance of one of the groom’s brothers.

“So… where was I? Uhh… yes… Dean… You know why you don’t deserve Dean? Because Dean…”

“Cas, stop…”

“Because Dean...”

“Stop it, Cas…”

“Dean is my true mate… and this wedding was never supposed to happen…” said Cas, while tears were running down his face. Everyone started getting louder and gossiping then, unable to believe what Castiel had just said.

“Cas, please stop…” Gabriel kept telling him.

“No… I want everyone to know that I’m in love with him… I love him… Dean should be married to me, not Michael… I… Dean… I love you, baby…” said Cas, noticing Dean in the crowd, for the first time.

Dean just stood there, white as a sheet, staring at him. His brother and father next to him had a shocked expression on their faces and as for Michael… he was staring at Dean, unable to believe Castiel’s words.

“Tell me you love me back… please… tell me you love me…” Castiel said.

Michael kept staring at Dean, waiting for his response, but was pulled out of his trance when he heard Anna next to him, sobbing hard. Chuck had had enough of all that then and got up on the stage, removing Castiel with the help of his brother and getting him out of the tent. After dragging him violently to the house and closing the door behind them, Chuck pushed Cas against the door and slapped him hard on the face a couple of times. Gabriel was trying to restrain his father, so that he would stop hitting Castiel, but after a death glare from Chuck he stood back.

“What the hell was that, huh?” Chuck screamed in Castiel’s face, holding him by the collar of his shirt. Castiel just kept sobbing.

“The truth… I love him, dad… Dean is my true mate…” said Cas and earned another slap on his face.

“Why did you have to go and ruin your brother’s most important day? You listen to me carefully, Castiel James Novak… you stay the hell away from Dean or I’ll forget that you’re my son and far worse things will happen to you… Do you understand me? Answer me…”said Chuck and then gave a strong punch in Castiel’s stomach, making him crumble from the pain and cry even harder.

“Dad… please, stop hurting him…” pleaded Gabriel, grabbing his father’s arms again, only to be pushed by Chuck backwards.

“Stay out of it, Gabriel… Tell me, Castiel… do you understand me?” Chuck screamed.

“Yes… yes…” Castiel answered between sobs, falling on the floor. 

“I want you to pack your things right now and get the hell out of my house… Go to New York or wherever… I don’t care… just get the hell out, before Dean and Michael come back inside… and don’t you dare step a foot in Michael’s company… Forget about your office and start looking for a job, if you want my advice… Now, get the hell out of my sight”, finished Chuck and got back out of the house.

Gabriel looking sympathetically at Cas, went to help his brother stand up and then helped him up the stairs and to his room. He could only imagine the hell that would break loose after tonight. Castiel had managed to end his career and his social life all in one night. Things were about to get really hard.


	17. Empire State of Mind

Dean was sitting alone on the bed in Michael’s room, waiting and staring at the ceiling. Three hours earlier, Cas revealed to almost everyone they knew that he and Dean were true mates and the wedding reception ended in the worst way possible. After spending the whole day worrying about the mating ceremony, in the end, it was Castiel’s revelation that brought an ache to his heart.

The moment Chuck and Gabriel dragged Cas back inside the house, Michael –after giving Dean a misbelieving glance- ran out of the wedding tent and went to find his car. Dean ran after him, but wasn’t fast enough to stop him and Michael hastily drove away from the mansion. Seeing all this, Michael’s uncle, Zachariah, wasted no time, then, and stepped on the stage and informed everyone that the party was over and so, all the guests started leaving in a haze of comments and a lot of gossip. 

Dean went eventually inside the house, after spending an hour or so, hiding somewhere in the garden, not ready to face anyone yet and especially Cas. However, when he was sure that Cas was gone –taken to the airport by his brother Gabriel- he went, carefully not to be seen, back inside the house and up to Michael’s bedroom, changed in his sleeping clothes and waited for him to return. 

…Α-Ω…

Dean stared at the clock on the nightstand and read the numbers that informed him that it was 01:00 AM. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from right outside the door on the hallway and immediately stood more upright on the bed, where he was previously lying. There was clearly some fumbling with the door handle and Dean held his breath for the inevitable. A few seconds later, the door was finally opened, revealing Michael. Without turning on the lights, the Alpha managed to come inside and then closed the door behind him, after stumbling and almost falling on his ass. It was obvious that he was drunk.

“Michael?” asked Dean, worried.

Michael turned to look at him then, like he just now realized that Dean was in the room and snorted bitterly.  
“Oh… you’re here… I didn’t expect to find you in my bed. I thought that you would have chosen to sleep with your brother again tonight or that you would have run away with mine…” Michael said and sighed, removing the jacket of his tuxedo and dropping it on a chair, carelessly. 

“Michael, please… I need to talk to you…” started Dean.

“About what? The wedding?” said Michael and laughed again.  
“Don’t you agree that it was great? So awesome… You know what the funny thing is… I was trying so hard to protect you and not make you feel uncomfortable and then you ended stubbing me in the heart and making me seem like a fool… And now, they’re all talking about it… Tomorrow the Press will know everything about it too and the whole world is going to start laughing at me… ‘The wedding of the century’… that’s what they called it… It sure was… there was no other wedding like this one… I guarantee…” said Michael and clumsily got rid of his bow tie and dress shirt.

“I’m sorry… I never thought that…”

“What? That Cas would get drunk and reveal that the two of you were fucking behind my back?” said Michael, looking at Dean furiously.

“What? No! Nothing ever happened between me and your brother… I swear… You have to believe me…”

“You want me to believe that you found your true mate, while being in heat and did nothing about it? Yeah… right… I’m sorry, but no… I don’t believe you…” said Michael and kicked his shoes off his legs.

“I’m not lying… Michael, please… you have to believe me… Nothing happened… I swear… please…”

“Save it, Dean… it doesn’t matter anymore… What I don’t understand is why you agreed to mate with me and marry me, when you knew that my brother was the one you really wanted…” said Michael and then removed his pants and his socks. Dean stayed silent and Michael moved to his dresser and got some sweat pants to wear. After he wore them, he turned back to Dean.  
“It was for the money, wasn’t it? I always knew it, when someone approached me for my money… but you… you’re good… You got me fooled… The idiot, I thought that you might actually like me… but once again… it was for my money… Don’t worry, though… you won. We’re now married and mated… I can’t turn back time… I didn’t make you sign a prenup… ‘cause I thought that we’d always be together… and now… Everything I own is yours too. It’s funny how life turns out…”

“Michael, I swear… it’s not your money I want… I want you… Please, don’t punish me for something I never did. Nothing happened between your brother and me… I… okay, I admit that I felt an attraction, but… nothing more… I know that he said we’re true mates, but… I don’t even believe in this crap… Don’t push me away… you can’t do this to me on our wedding night…” said Dean, looking at Michael, who was standing by the bed, with pleading eyes.

“I’m not doing anything to you… You did it to yourself and to me… You knew what you were to Cas and you said nothing… now I lost my brother and my mate…” started Michael.

“You mean that you wanna get a divorce?” asked Dean, his heart thundering inside his chest.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Well, I’m sorry, but I’m not going to give you back your freedom that easily… You made me look like a fool, tonight. You embarrassed me in front of everyone… and now you want me to just let you go and live your love with Cas? No, not happening… What do you think they’d think of me, if I let my bitch run away with my own brother? Your grandpa was right… Omegas aren’t supposed to be treated like the rest… The moment I gave you a little freedom, you bit my hand… From now on, you’ll only do what I tell you… got it? Tomorrow, we’re leaving for New York and you’d better forget about any plans you have for the big city… Your place is at home… Hopefully, we’ll have a baby soon enough… This embarrassing situation ends here… I don’t want to hear anything about you seeing my brother ever again… Am I clear? If you ever meet up with him again, I won’t accept your brother and father in my clan… And you know what this means, don’t you? Samuel could get Sam… You wouldn’t want that, would you?” said Michael, leaving Dean to stare at him with his mouth hanging open.

“No, I don’t want that…” said Dean, finally composing himself.

“Good…” said Michael and got under the bed covers. Dean was left sitting on the bed and staring at Michael’s back, as the alpha turned to face the wall instead of him.

“Goodnight”, Dean muttered after a while, getting under the covers himself, but got no response. Right then, he knew that he had to earn Michael’s trust again, before everything went to hell. He had to fix this… he had to…

…Α-Ω…

The next morning, Dean was the first to wake up. When he did, he was still staring at Michael’s back. It was like the alpha hadn’t moved at all in his sleep… or perhaps he had, ‘cause he was laying at the very edge of the mattress, while Dean himself had almost gone all over to his side, but still was not touching him. The realization made him sad and although he was afraid to do anything, after what Michael told him the previous night, he still decided that he wanted to get near to his mate and husband. So, he moved his body hesitantly close to Michael’s, until his chest was touching the other man’s back and then put his arm around the alpha’s waist, bringing them a lot closer.

After a while, Michael finally woke up, feeling Dean pressed right behind him, with his arm over his waist and his hot breath on the back of his neck and he sighed.

“Dean, what are you doing? You’re gonna make me fall off the bed…” said Michael, grabbing Dean’s arm and removing it from his waist.

“Sorry, I just… I just needed to feel close to you…” said Dean, watching as Michael stood up and sat at the edge of the bed, rubbing the sleep off his eyes.

“I’m going to shower… pack your things, until I’m done and then you can shower too. Don’t be too long, my private jet will be waiting for us to leave. We’re going to New York today… I don’t want to spend another second here.”

“We’ll take your jet? Will Sammy and dad come with the jet too?” asked Dean.

“I highly doubt it, since they won’t be coming to New York. They’re going back to Lawrence. They won’t live in New York.”

“What… why? I thought…” said Dean, suddenly panicking.

“After everything that happened yesterday, be thankful that I have accepted them in my clan… Don’t expect me to bring them inside my house too…” said Michael and got up from the bed, starting to stretch his muscles.

“But I… they don’t have to live in the same house with us… Dad could rent a place with his money”, argued Dean.

“I’m sorry Dean, but when I told your father that I wanted to live alone with you in my house, he informed me that he would stay in Lawrence then. He doesn’t have money to spend on rent. He owns his house in Lawrence and he doesn’t have to worry about things like that. Besides, he wants your brother to continue at the same school. He thinks that it will be easier for him.”

“So we’ll live on our own? With no one else?” asked Dean in a low voice.

“Why? You have a problem with that?”

“No… it’s just… I’ll miss them…”

“You’ll get over it…” said Michael coldly and then went inside the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

‘Well, things keep getting better and better’, Dean thought.

…Α-Ω…

Two and a half hours later and after they said goodbye to everyone in the house, including Dean’s father and brother, they were now both sitting at the jet’s seats, opposite to one another, getting ready for the plane to take off. Michael seemed relaxed and was reading a newspaper, not sparing a glance towards Dean, while Dean kept thinking of Sam and his father and the fact that with everything that happened the previous night, he never got the chance to say goodbye to his friends. Luckily for him, his grandparents and cousins hadn’t stayed the night at the house, but preferred to go to a hotel instead and so Dean didn’t have to face them today.

Just like that, a few minutes passed in complete silence, but the warming up of the plane’s engines pulled Dean out of his thoughts. When he felt the small plane coming to life, he immediately tensed in his seat. Dean really hated flying and the last time that he had to, when he had come with Sam and their dad to California, he had spent the whole way from Kansas to the sunny state, gripping his brother’s hand tightly. 

Dean started breathing fast, then, getting noticed by Michael for the first time since they arrived at the small airport. 

“Is something wrong?” he asked, curiously.

“I… I just hate airplanes… I get a little on edge, when I’m flying…” said Dean, gripping the seat’s arms tightly.

“I assure you that my jet is perfectly safe… you don’t need to worry…” Michael reassured him.

“Yeah… well, you never know… New planes crush too…” said Dean and started trembling and panicking more and more with every passing second.

“Dean, calm down… it’s okay, I promise… Don’t be afraid”, he said, but Dean kept trembling in his seat.

“Sorry, I can’t control it…” 

Michael looked at him for a moment and then spoke.  
“You can come and sit next to me, if you want… If it makes you feel better…” he said and Dean unbuckled the seat’s belt and went to the seat next to Michael immediately. After putting on the seat’s belt again, he grasped Michael’s arm and leaned on it, gripping it tightly with both hands.

“Sshhh… it’s okay… Dean… you’re kinda… crushing my arm… relax…”

“I’m so sorry…” said Dean, but didn’t loosen his grip.

“It’s okay… I hope you feel better, soon, ‘cause this is going to be a long flight and I want my arm to be functioning when we get off”, he said, while Dean kept trembling beside him.

And it was a long flight, indeed…

…Α-Ω…

The moment the jet landed in New York, Dean felt his heart beating at a normal rate again. He never let go of Michael’s arm during the flight. Only when Michael told him that he needed to go to the bathroom, did he let go. With Michael’s return, though, he wasted no time and gripped his arm again tightly, making the alpha sigh next to him. Dean was grateful that in spite of Michael’s cold behavior the previous night and that morning, he still allowed him to hold him during the flight and was really patient about it. Dean could see that despite everything that took place during the wedding and the fact that Michael still didn’t believe that nothing had happened between him and Cas, he still cared about him and felt protective of him. That feeling warmed Dean's heart.

When they reached Michael’s apartment, an hour later, Dean was amazed to see how modern and different it was from Michael’s family home, back in California and a small ‘wow’ escaped his lips, once they were inside.

“You like it?” asked Michael, looking bored. He was used to the luxury and the expensive furniture and to him it made absolutely no difference at all.

“Yeah… it’s really nice… It’s even better from your home in California… I gather that this is more your style?”

“Yeah… I guess… Anyway, you’re probably tired and I need to get some shuteye myself, so... why don’t I show you your room?”

“My room? Don’t you mean ‘our’ room?” asked Dean.

“No… I mean ‘your’ room. We won’t be sleeping in the same bed… I need my distance… Just because I let you hold onto me during the flight, it doesn’t mean that I’ve forgotten and forgiven everything that happened. I’m gonna need time, Dean… So, please… don’t push it…” Michael said, rubbing his forehead with his right hand and then went for the stairs.  
“So, are you coming?” he asked.

“Uhm, yeah… sure”, answered Dean, feeling his heart dropping to his feet.   
“I’m coming”, he said and followed Michael up the stairs. Just like that, he knew, that the next days were going to be tough. Really tough.


	18. PS I Love You

Dean followed Michael, walking stiffly right behind him through the hallway, until they reached a white wooden door at their left. Michael turned around then and spoke almost tiredly.

“This is it… This is your room… They’ll bring your luggage soon, so that you can settle in. I’m gonna go to my room… I’m kind of tired and I have to go to my company tomorrow, so I need to rest. If you get hungry, call Hannah and ask her to tell the cook to make you something. Good evening…” Michael said and then turned around to leave.

“What about you? Don’t you want to eat anything? You haven’t eaten all day… perhaps I could make you a sandwich or something…”

“You don’t need to worry about me and you don’t need to worry about cooking either. That’s what our cook is for. Just get settled in your room, Dean. Sleep or put your clothes in the closet… I don’t know…”

“I don’t want to put my clothes in the closet. Not unless it’s the closet in your room. I hate packing and moving my stuff around all the time… I won’t be staying in that room for long… Michael, I don’t want to sleep without you… Why can’t you just hear me out? I didn’t do anything with Cas… you have to believe me…” Dean said with pleading eyes.

“Cas? You call him Cas? …Dean, please… I’m too tired to have this conversation with you… Just go to your room. Unpack or don’t… I don’t really care… Just know that it will be where you’ll be staying at for a while. You might wanna get as comfortable as you can… Please don’t wake me up for dinner. I’ll eat when I wake up… Have a good night…” Michael said and walked further down the corridor, until he reached the door of his room, opened it and then closed it and locked it behind him.

Dean was left staring at the closed door, but after a few seconds, snapped out of it and went inside the room Michael said was his own. The room wasn’t as big as the one they shared back in California, but it looked comfortable enough, with a queen size bed and its own bathroom and a large window with a great view of the city. It looked really cool actually. When he reached the window, however, he got a little overwhelmed by the apartment’s distance from the ground. Back in Lawrence, they lived in a two story house and Michael’s family home also had only two floors. Nevertheless, Michael’s apartment was a penthouse and it really wasn’t helping with Dean’s general fear of heights. So, Dean closed hastily the curtains and walked away from the window.

Sitting there by himself made him suddenly realize how disgusting he felt. His clothes were sticking on his body, after the long flight, making him feel filthy and also all his muscles were tensed like hell after everything. So, he decided that he was in dire need of a shower, to get cleaned and relaxed. This would definitely help him sleep too, if that was in the cards. 

After he walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him, he immediately started taking off his clothes and when he got rid of them, he stepped into the shower and let the water soak his hair and his back, while he braced himself on the tile wall. A few minutes passed like that, without really doing anything, just letting the water wash over him and suddenly he found himself crying for the first time after the end of the mating ceremony, when he was crying for completely different reasons. The tears started mingling with the water that was pouring from the shower head. In a moment, all the memories came crushing down and Dean couldn’t believe the way things had turned out. He couldn’t believe what Cas had done. He couldn’t believe that Michael had stopped trusting him and that he was treating him like that. That his brother and father were taken away from him. He was in deep shit and he didn’t know what to do. Even Cas, who claimed to love him so much, had abandoned him and in the worst possible moment. He had told him that he would always find someone in his face to talk to, if he needed it, but that was a lie. Cas ruined his wedding and then left him to deal with the consequences all on his own and now he was sad and lonely and didn’t know how to bear it.

Half an hour later and after the water started getting cold, Dean decided to end his shower and stepped out of it, finding a towel to wrap around his waist. His eyes were puffy from the tears, but he couldn’t shed any more. So, he decided to get dressed and have a much needed nap. The previous night, the nightmares and all the sadness didn’t let him sleep very well and now he was exhausted. Walking back inside the room, he noticed again the bed and the memory of being in Michael’s arms popped into his mind. Right then he felt like he really missed them. It always brought comfort to him, being in the alpha’s arms and it always made him feel safe. But that was not an option now and that saddened him deeply. 

The next thing he noticed was his suitcase that was lying by the foot of the bed, on the floor. ‘They must have brought it, while I was in the shower’, thought Dean and then went and picked it up and placed it again carefully on the bed. Once he grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of briefs, he then unzipped the zipper of the small section in the front of the suitcase to retrieve his deodorant, but instead of that, his hand touched something that felt like paper. Dean frowned with confusion and dragged the piece of paper out to reveal a folder with his name on it. Curiosity took the better of him and he started ripping the folder to see what was inside. To his ultimate surprise, it was a letter from Cas.

“Dean,

I know that there is no excuse for what I did tonight. You probably hate me already and it won’t really matter, but still, I need to tell you why I did it.

It was killing me, Dean… I could not bear it or handle it. I drank and I drank, but the pain wasn’t going away. I realize now that my actions came a little too late, when you were already married and mated to my brother, and therefore would have no other result but hurting you, but I didn’t have the courage to do it earlier. I’m so sorry… I know that it was all in vain.

I hope that Michael and my family didn’t mistreat you. My brother was always a gentleman and I hope he still remains…

My father made me leave and he prohibited any contact with you, but I can’t possibly do that. I need you to understand that I didn’t abandon you. I love you, Dean. I’d never do that. When we spoke a few days back, I promised you that I would be your friend, if that’s what you needed from me. So, here I am… making a peace offer. 

If you can still find it in your heart to forgive me, please call me on this number: 718-***-****.

With all my love,  
Your Cas.”

Dean just stared at the piece of paper with wide eyes and before he knew what he was doing, he was calling Cas on his cell phone. 

Two rings later and Cas answered.  
“Hello”, came a tired voice from the other end of the line.

“Cas?” said Dean softly.

“Dean? Is that you? You actually called… I… I don’t believe it. I thought that I’d never hear your voice again, after what I did. Are you okay? Where are you?” asked Cas in a panicked yet excited voice.

“I’m okay, Cas. I… I’m in New York. We landed a few hours back. And you?”

“I’m in New York too. I’m gathering my things from my apartment, before Anna gets back. I’m going to rent a new one, but until I find it, I’ll be staying in a hotel. Are you sure you’re okay? Michael didn’t do anything to you, did he?” asked Cas, panicking even more.

“No, Cas… relax. As you said in your letter, your brother is a gentleman… he didn’t do anything… It’s just… He’s a little mad, I guess. He thinks that we were screwing behind his back and he didn’t want to believe me, when I said that we weren’t. He’s just cold with me and he put me in a separate room. He doesn’t want to sleep with me anymore.”

“Well, as much as it hurts you, I can’t say that I’m not relieved to hear the last one… Dean… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I… I couldn’t bear it… The thought alone of you spending the rest of your life as my brother’s mate was killing me. I’m so sorry… I know you said that you don’t feel the way I feel about this, but for me that feeling is simply too strong… I know I made a huge mistake, though. I promised that I would be your friend. You trusted me and I betrayed that trust… But if you could give me another chance… I’d do anything to be close to you again. Even as just a friend… Can I… can I see you sometime?”

“Look, Cas… I don’t know. All of this happened too fast. I… before I found your letter, I felt so lonely… but then I read it and I felt this warmth inside of me. Knowing that you didn’t abandon me means a lot to me. I’m glad that I can hear your voice again. I want you in my life too, but… I don’t think we can risk seeing each other right now. I don’t think Michael would let me get out of the house on my own. He said that he wouldn’t.”

“Yeah… no… okay. I understand. I can wait, if that’s what you want… but please, call me whenever you can… I need to know that you’re alright. I’m such an idiot… All of this happened because of me… you didn’t deserve any of that… I can’t believe you’re even talking to me right now… Are you sure, you’re okay with this? I mean… have you… have you actually forgiven me?”

“Yes, Cas… I have. You’re too important to me to lose you over this. But, I need you to promise me… No more shit, okay? If you screw this up again, I won’t forgive you. I need you to promise me that you’re okay with just being my friend. I can’t have you flipping out again. I have to make things work with Michael. He’s my husband and my mate and I want us to be okay.”

“I understand… I promise… Just, please… don’t push me away...”

“I won’t… Like I said, you’re too important to me to do something like that. I’ll call you when I can… don’t call me. I don’t want him to get suspicious. If he finds out we’re talking, then I’m screwed… Bye, Cas… I… I’ll call you soon, okay?” said Dean.

“Yeah, okay… Bye, Dean. Be safe… I love you…” said Cas and hang up the phone, before Dean could protest or answer.

“I wish I knew whom I should love…” muttered Dean, looking at the phone in his hand.

…Α-Ω…

It was a few hours later when Dean woke up, after falling asleep on his bed and his stomach made a loud protesting sound, ‘cause he was starving. Quickly he stood up from the bed, wore a pair of sweatpants and then went to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. It was two o’clock in the evening, so, he guessed that no one would be awake. With hesitant steps, he got out of his bedroom and went down the stairs to find the kitchen. When he found it, however, he stopped dead in his tracks. Michael had his back turned towards Dean and was making a sandwich on the kitchen counter. From where he was standing, Dean could hear a low sound of music, coming from him and he realized that Michael had headphones on his ears and couldn’t hear him. Right then he remembered the first time he met Cas, when he thought he was Michael and went to hug him from behind. He had felt so awkward then. But now it was different. This was definitely Michael, although he looked different from the way he usually was. It was obvious that he had just gotten out of bed too and he was wearing only a pair of sweatpants and was barefoot. 

Dean contemplated his options and decided that yes, he should try and get close to his mate again. So, he slowly made his way to Michael and then wrapped his arms around him from behind, exactly like he had done with Cas and then, even though Michael jerked a little from the sudden presence behind him, Dean managed to lean his head on the other man’s shoulder and stay there.

Michael put down the sandwich he was preparing and removed the headphones from his ears. Without making any attempt to get out of Dean’s arms, he then spoke.

“Dean… what are you doing? Didn’t we talk about this? I told you I needed some space… Please, don’t make this any more difficult than it already is”, he said, but still stayed right there in Dean’s arms.

“I don’t care what we said… I need you… Don’t push me away… I… I don’t want to lose you…” Dean said and tightened his grip around Michael’s waist and then buried his face even deeper in the crook of his neck, leaving a small kiss there.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“What am I doing?” asked Dean and kissed him again.

“Am I supposed to just forget everything that happened? I can’t do that, Dean... It is hard for me… don’t you get it?”

“Why can’t you get that nothing happened? I told you this before and I’m telling you again. Nothing ever happened between me and your brother… Why can’t you see it?” said Dean and then licked the mark of his bite, right on the alpha’s neck, making him jump at the sensation.

“Dean…”

“Don’t push me away, babe… You’re mine and I’m yours… Don’t push me away”, said Dean and then kissed Michael’s neck again.

“Enough”, said Michael, snapping out of it.  
“Don’t… Just don’t, okay?” he said turning around to face Dean, while grabbing the omega’s arms.  
“I need you to respect my decision. I’m not ready for this. I’m still so mad, Dean… and I’m hurt. This is my brother we’re talking about. I can’t take this lightly… Even if what you’re saying is true and nothing happened between the two of you… still, Cas claims that you’re his true mate and that he loves you. And if there is one thing I know about true mates, is that the feelings are always returned in this case. How am I supposed to feel now that I finally found someone to love and nature herself is trying to push you into my brother’s arms? I’m hurt and afraid that sooner or later you’re gonna leave me and run to my brother! And me? What about me? I’ll stay all alone, because I love you… and you can’t return the feelings… I won’t be able to find another mate… It’s not random that I’ve said that I love you so many times and that you’ve never said it once back to me… Don’t think I haven’t noticed. It’s because you don’t love me, Dean… It’s so simple…” 

“I know I haven’t said it… but… it’s still too soon… And it’s not because I don’t feel things for you… I just… for me all of that happened too fast, babe… I… God, we’ve only known each other for a week. Your brother has nothing to do with the fact I haven’t said those words to you… I’m just… That’s just how I am… I need time… But still… I know I care deeply about you and I don’t want to lose you… Why can’t you see that you’re making us both miserable?” said Dean, his lips only an inch apart from Michael’s.

Without answering, Michael just touched Dean’s nose with his own and then turned around to take the sandwich that he was making earlier and before Dean knew it, he was out of his grip and standing at the kitchen’s entrance, on his way out.

“Just eat something and then go back to bed… okay? We’ll talk tomorrow… Goodnight…” Michael said and then walked away.

“Yeah… goodnight” murmured Dean and then sat on a chair and buried his face in his hands. 

This was going to be a long night!


	19. Black Tie

It was the first day to return to his company and Michael was already drowning in work. He was only missing for a week, during which he kept working from California, but it seemed that there was a lot of business that was needed to be taken care of personally by him and that could not be arranged from afar. So, it was understandable that when noon came, he was already exhausted.

Michael was reading over some documents that were sent to him that day and was leaning on his one hand, unable to concentrate, when he heard a knock on the door.

“Come in”, he said and straightened up at his seat.

His personal assistant, Meg, waltzed into the room then and closed the door behind her.  
“Excuse me, sir, I hope I’m not interrupting, but there are some pressing issues that we need to discuss before you head to lunch”, she said and stood in front of his desk.

Michael looked up at her with a bored expression and then spoke.  
“No, please… go ahead. It’s not like you’re interrupting anything. My head is blank right now. I wasn’t doing much work anyway. As for my lunch, I’m planning to take it here in my office. There are still lots to do and I don’t have time to go out. So, what seems to be the problem?” he asked. 

“Well, first of all, I’d like you to confirm some of our last minute invitations that we need to send ASAP for tonight’s black tie gala that the company is throwing for the merge with Mr. McLeod’s company.”

“What? Are you kidding me? That is tonight? God… This day is awful… The last thing I want is to spend my evening talking to a bunch of old businessmen and their gossip wives. Kill me now”, said Michael and pulled his tie to loosen it.  
“So, what are those last minute invitations?”

“Well, there aren’t many and not all so important… I can leave them in your office to look at them and I can pick them up in an hour, if you want. It’s about ten or so, but I really need you to confirm Mr. Roman’s invitation from ‘Richard Roman Enterprises’ now. It’s kind of urgent, ‘cause his office called and asked about it. It seems that Mr. Roman was expecting his invitation days ago and was surprised that he hasn’t received one.”

“Oh God… I totally forgot about him… Yeah, okay… send him the invitation… I just thought that Crowley was more acquainted to the man and that he would have sent him one already. Okay, give it to me… I’ll sign it personally, to apologize for the delay”, said Michael and took the invitation folder and signed it.  
“Is there anything else?” he asked then, after giving back the folder to Meg.

“Well, yes… I needed to ask you, whether your husband is going to accompany you tonight, so that I can save a seat for him next to you at dinner”, Meg said and waited for his answer. Michael seemed to be overthinking about it.

“Uh… yes. He will be accompanying me. Do what you have to do…” he finally answered.

“Speaking of your husband… that brings me to another issue that has arisen… There are a lot of people calling all day since yesterday, from local and not only Press that ask for an interview from you about the episode with your brother at the wedding. A lot of newspapers have you on the front page, because of that. What should I tell them?” she asked hesitantly.

“To go fuck themselves… that’s what… Ask them not to call ever again and that I won’t be giving any interviews. And if they don’t stop with all that crap in their papers, tell them that I’m going to sue them and shut their asses down… Understand? My public appearance with Dean tonight should be enough to shut their mouths. Is there anything else that needs to be taken care of?” he asked angrily.

Meg braced herself for what was coming next.  
“Uh… yes, actually”, she said.

“What is it?” Michael asked in a cold tone.

“I needed to ask you about your brother’s position at the company and the board?” she asked hesitantly. 

“What about it?” Michael said.

“His resignation letter was sent to Mr. Zachariah’s office this morning. Should we start interviewing people for the position?” 

Michael just stared at her for a while, without saying anything and then finally spoke.  
“Do you have it with you?” he asked.

“Uh… yes”, she said confused and then, after going through the papers she was holding, handed it over to him.

Michael took a look at it and then tore it up.  
“I don’t accept his resignation. Tell him to move his ass and come to work… His position is waiting for him. Tell Zachariah not to dare start any interviews. The position is Castiel's and that’s how it will remain. I don’t trust anyone outside family to have such a powerful position in the company and the board”, he said.

“Okay, then… I think that was it… Oh, what would you like me to order for you to eat?” she asked.

“Uh… just the regular from that Chinese place I like. You can go now”, he said and looked back down at the papers in front of him.

“Oh, I almost forgot… Should I send a limo at your house, to pick Mr. Winchester up?”

Michael looked up at her again, annoyed and answered.  
“It’s Mr. Novak now and yes… do that. Call Hannah too and tell her to pick one of my tuxedos for him and also to send one here in my office, so that I can change. I’ll call Dean myself. You can go now…” said Michael and resumed back to his work.

…Α-Ω…

Dean was sitting alone in the living room, watching television and was bored out of his mind all day. He wanted to get out of the house, but he was afraid that Michael would get angry with him, if he did. How much he wished Sam and his dad had come with him right now. All he had to hope was for Michael to return home. There was that maid, of course, Michael had mentioned to him yesterday, Hannah, and a cook that Dean didn’t really remember his name, but none of them would talk to him. The only time they acknowledged his presence was when Hannah asked him what he wanted for lunch. Once she brought it, however, she continued paying zero attention to him and the whole situation started driving Dean crazy. It was the same with the servants back in Michael’s family home, but he hadn’t really noticed that, then, ‘cause there were always a lot of people in the house and he never felt alone. 

That’s why he was so relieved and excited when his phone rang and he saw Michael’s name on the screen.  
“Michael? Hey, baby… how are you?” said Dean, sitting straighter on the couch.

“Uh… I’m good, Dean… I’m just calling you to tell you that there is this uh… party, my company is throwing tonight… and uh… I’d like you to accompany me… If you want to, of course…” said Michael hesitantly.

“Are you kidding me? Of course I want to. I’ve been bored out of my mind in here all day… I’d love to come… but… uh… I don’t know, if I have anything to wear. I’m guessing it’s going to be very formal…”

“Yes, it’s a black tie party… But, don’t worry about it. My assistant has informed Hannah and she will give you one of my tuxedos. You’ll be fine.”

“Uh… okay. Should I get a cab?” Dean asked him.

“No… no… A limo will come and pick you up around seven, so… be ready and don’t worry about anything else.”

“Yeah okay… I’ll be ready… How’s work? Are you doing alright?” Dean asked then.

“Yeah… I’m good… Just a little tired I guess… We’ll talk later… I lo… I… look forward to seeing you. Bye, Dean…” said Michael and then hang up the phone.

“Bye…” murmured Dean. 

…Α-Ω…

It was seven o’clock and Michael was getting ready in his office, when his brother Gabriel knocked on the door.

“Just a second”, he said and then pulled up his dress pants and zipped them.  
“Uh… come in.”

“Hey, bro… looking good…” said Gabriel and went to sit on the couch, placing his feet on the coffee table in front of him.

“Hey Gabe… you’re here… When did you come? Did Lucifer come too?” asked Michael turning to face his brother, while buttoning up his shirt.

“Uh, yes… we all did… except Anna… She needed some time… She wanted to make sure that Cas would be out of their apartment, when she returned… We landed earlier at noon and we quickly got dressed and came here for the event. Lucifer is downstairs with Lilith. We wouldn’t leave you on your own…” said Gabriel.

“Thanks… I’m sure YOU didn’t want to leave me… When it comes to Lucifer, though, allow me to have my doubts. My wellbeing is the last thing that worries him… So, did you have a good trip?” he asked.

“Yeah… it was okay… Are YOU okay? Is everything alright between you and Dean?” 

“No, but we’re getting there… He should be here in a little bit. He will accompany me tonight.”

“I’m glad… Michael, don’t lash out on him. It wasn’t his fault… I know what I’m talking about…” said Gabriel.

“What do you mean?” asked Michael, stepping closer to his brother.

“Well, I kinda knew about this whole ‘true mate’ thing that was going on with him and Cas. The second day of our brother’s arrival, Cas met Dean in the morning, before you two decided to head out to L.A. and that’s when Cas realized what Dean was to him. He told me that even Lucifer knew from that very moment, because he walked in on them in the kitchen…” 

“He walked in on them doing what?” asked Michael, getting angry.

“Nothing… just talking… But Lucifer caught on Cassie’s behavior and told him that he knew he liked Dean, the moment Dean left to look for you.” 

“That’s not saying anything about how Dean felt about this…” protested Michael.

“Well, no… but the talk they had later that evening, when you were working in your office and we were having dinner, does.”

“What do you mean? What did they talk about?”

“Castiel revealed how he felt about him and that he knew that Dean was his true mate… He kinda… sorry to say it, tried to convince Dean to leave you… But Dean wouldn’t hear any of it. He turned him down immediately, telling him that he didn’t believe in true mates and that he wanted to stay with you and start a family. He told Cas to do the same with Anna and that they could only be brothers in law and nothing more… I know all this, because Cas himself told everything to me, later… When you sent him back inside, to stay alone with Dean, he was in a bad mood and he even got in a fight with dad and Anna at the table… So, I wanted to know what the hell was wrong with him and took him in the library for a chat… He told me everything and then he started crying… I tried to make him see what a mistake it would be, if he did anything and at the moment I thought he really understood and that he agreed… but….”

“He decided to do it anyway… and on my wedding day…” said Michael, gritting his teeth.

“Michael, I’m so sorry… I know that there is no excuse, but Cas was in a very bad place that day… I know for a fact that Dean kept ignoring him the next days after their talk… and Cas was miserable… He was drunk out of his mind the day of the wedding and he didn’t know what he was doing… Believe me, he regrets deeply of what he’s done. If he could take it back, he would…”

“You don’t understand… I… because of Castiel’s stupidity, I almost ended my marriage with the man I love… I accused him of cheating on me with my brother and I called him names, I’m sure he’ll never forgive… I didn’t allow his brother and father to come and live with us and now he’s lonely… I even asked him to sleep in a separate room from me… and he took it all in and said nothing… Every time he tried to tell me that nothing happened between him and Cas, I didn’t believe him and I was cold with him… I’m such an idiot…” said Michael and collapsed on the couch next to Gabriel.

“Hey hey… it’s okay… you couldn’t have known… You got hurt and jealous… It’s understandable…”

“Yeah, but calling him a worthless bitch isn’t…”

“Oh my God! You actually called him that? I’m surprised he didn’t run to find Cas…” said Gabriel.

Michael just looked at him with a hurt expression.  
“Okay… okay… Sorry… too soon! I know…”

“I told him that that bastard Samuel was right, for crying out loud… and all he did was sleep next to me, without saying anything and then when he tried to hug me the next morning… I pushed him away… I treated him like an ass…”

“Just… don’t punish him anymore… give him a hug… Apologize… Dean is a good person… he’ll forgive you... As for Cas… I think he’s suffered enough… You should have seen how he was when I took him to the airport… he was a mess, so much emotionally as physically… Dad hit him, you know?”

“What? Why?”

“Are you kidding me? He hurt his pride and ridiculed his favorite son… What did you expect? His face was in a bad shape… for once, I looked prettier than he did…”

“I had no idea… Dad said nothing… You know Cas sent his resignation letter today…”

“Oh? And what did you do? Will you start interviewing new people for the position?” Gabriel asked with a sad expression on his face.

“No, I declined it and I tore it up… I don’t want him to leave the company… When it comes to work at least… I trust him… But, that doesn’t mean I’ll let him anywhere near Dean...”

“You did good… Thank you… I know that Cas isn’t your favorite person right now, but if he were to lose his job too… I don’t know how he’d manage to get on his feet again. Dad pushed him away… Anna pushed him away… you did too… although I kinda understand that part… Thank you for letting him work in the company, though… You’re a good man, Michael… better than our father ever was or will be… You know, our dad threatened him and told him not to step a foot in the company…”

“Well, it’s my company and dad doesn’t really have a say in it…”

“Wow… you’ve changed… It’s the first time I see you defy him… I’m glad… You’re much more powerful than he is, Michael… you don’t owe him anything…” said Gabriel and patted him on the shoulder, but before Michael could speak, there was a knock on the door.

“Uh… come in”, said Michael and both he and Gabriel turned to see who it was.

“Excuse me, sir… I just wanted to inform you that your husband is here and also that most of the guests are down at the lobby with Mr. McLeod… you too should get there soon”, Meg said, standing by the door.

“Uh… is Dean waiting in your office?” asked Michael. 

“Yes… he wanted to wait for you, when he was informed that you weren’t down at the party yet.”

“Will you please tell him to come inside?” Michael said.

“Of course, sir…” Meg answered and then went back outside.

“Gabriel, would you mind? I need some minutes alone with him.”

“Of course, brother…” said Gabriel and winked at him. Before he had a chance to get out of the room, though, Dean was already inside the door.

“Hey, Dean… looking good… Michael’s clothes really suit you”, said Gabriel and patted Dean on the shoulder.

“Uh… thanks… I guess…” said Dean, looking at the other man confused.

“Well, I’ll better leave you boys alone, then. See you downstairs.”  
Michael nodded then with a smile and Gabriel walked out the door, closing it behind him.

“Uh… hey… are you ready?” Dean asked Michael.

“Before we go downstairs, I need to talk to you…” said Michael, approaching him.

“Okay… what about?” asked Dean.

“About what an asshole I’ve been…” said Michael and then took hold of Dean’s arms, bringing him flush to his body and then wrapping his arms around the omega.

“I need to apologize for what you went through, because of me the last two days… I… I’m so sorry, baby… I… I never meant any of the things I told you that night… I need you to know that… I… you’re more than precious to me… I love you so much… I don’t see you like a possession or a sex toy… I really love you for exactly who you are… I was just trying to hurt you, the same way you hurt me… at least that’s what I thought at the time… I honestly thought that you and Cas had… I’m so sorry…” said Michael and tried to kiss him, but before he could, Dean pulled away.

“What’s the matter? You don’t want to forgive me?” said Michael, with a hurt expression on his face.

“No, it’s just… I don’t understand what changed your mind… When I tried to talk to you, yesterday… You pushed me away again and you didn’t want to believe me. What happened and you’re suddenly so sure about everything? And you don’t doubt me anymore?” asked Dean.

“I… Gabriel talked to me… he told me everything, because he knew it from Cas.”

Dean pushed him away then.  
“So, technically… you never believed me. If your brother hadn’t talked to you, you would still be mad at me…” said Dean, getting out from his grip.

“Baby… I know how this looks, but… even if Gabriel hadn’t told me anything… I still would have forgiven you.”

“Forgiven me for what? I didn’t do anything… You just asked me to forgive YOU… So, what you’re saying is that you would have let it go, but you’d still think that Cas and I were screwing behind your back…” said Dean angrily.

“No, that’s not…”

“Please, Michael. I’m not stupid… you didn’t want to believe me, ‘cause you are always expecting from people to betray you… You’re insecure and you think that the only reason people want to be with you is because of your money… You accused me of the very same thing…” Dean yelled at his face.

“Dean… please… I’m so sorry… I never meant any of it…” Michael said with pleading eyes.

“Like hell, you didn’t… I’m out of here… Enjoy your stupid party… I’ll see you at home…” said Dean, furious and ran out the door, slamming it hard behind him.

“Sir, is everything okay?” asked Meg, after getting hastily inside.

“Get the hell out, Meg… I need to be alone for a while”, said Michael and dropped on the couch, burying his face in his hands.

…Α-Ω… 

Dean was downright furious when he left Michael’s office. He couldn’t believe this. Michael didn’t trust him one bit, but when his brother told him the very same thing he kept telling him, he believed him right away. When he got out of the building, avoiding the guests and the paparazzi that were lurking outside, he got into a cab and immediately gave the driver Michael’s home address. 

A few minutes passed in complete silence and Dean was still stewing in his own juice. If Michael thought that this would be forgiven that easily, he was far from right. Right when that thought crossed his mind and without really realizing it, he found himself calling Cas’ phone number, once again. He was the only one he knew in New York and he desperately needed to talk to someone in person.

The phone didn’t ring more than once and Cas picked it up.  
“Dean?” he said with excitement in his voice.

“Hey, Cas… how are you doing?” he asked him.

“I’m okay… I’m just sitting in my hotel room, watching television…” Cas answered.

“What hotel?” Dean asked.

“Uhm… New York Hilton… the one in Midtown Manhattan… Why?” asked Cas, puzzled.

“I’m coming there now… I need to see you… Just text me your room number, okay?” Dean said and before Cas could answer, he hang up on him. 

“Okay…” answered Cas in the dead line. Dean’s behavior was more than curious. Something must have happened between him and Michael and that’s why he wanted to go to him. He just hoped it was nothing serious.

…Α-Ω…

Twenty minutes later and Dean was knocking on Castiel’s hotel room door. Cas quickly got up from the couch then and went to open it. Before he had a chance to speak, however, and the moment the door was opened, Dean fell in his arms and hugged him tightly.

“Cas… I’m so happy to see you right now… I feel like I’m going to explode…” said Dean and then buried his face in Castiel’s neck.

“Hey… what’s wrong? Did something happen?” asked Cas, concerned, while he was rubbing soothing circles on Dean’s back.  
“Wait… let me just close the door”, he said then and moved to push the door shut with his left hand.  
“What’s the matter? You want to talk about it?”

Dean moved for the first time to look at Castiel’s face, but before he could respond, he was shocked at the image in front of him and stared at Cas with wide eyes.  
“What happened to your face? Did Michael do this to you?” Dean said furiously.

“What? Dean… no…” started Cas, but Dean interrupted him.

“Don’t lie to me, Cas… Who else could have done something like that?” 

“No, Dean… I swear… it wasn’t my brother… My father hit me… the day of the wedding… Michael was always protecting me, since we were little. He would never lift a finger on me… My father has anger management issues”, said Cas and then lowered his head. He was ashamed that Dean had to see him like this.  
“Just come and sit on the couch with me… tell me what’s wrong. Don’t worry about my face… It’s healing.”

Dean did just that and followed him on the couch, sitting stiffly in the middle, with Cas right beside him.  
“So? What happened? And why are you dressed like that? Where were you?”

“Uhm… I went to this black tie party or whatever, Michael’s company was throwing and I got in a fight with him, while we were still at his office.”

“Did he offend you in any way?” asked Cas, angrily.

“No… he apologized to me… for being a total asshole these past two days…” said Dean hesitantly, not daring to look at him. Cas was just staring at him confused.

“I’m sorry that I have to ask that… but… why is that a bad thing? I mean, shouldn’t you be happy that he did? I thought that you wanted things to be good between the two of you, again. I don’t seem to understand what the problem is here…” said Cas.

“Well, the problem is that he only did it after he had a talk with Gabriel. Your brother convinced him that there was nothing going on between us and he believed him, just like that. I was telling him the same damn thing for two days now and he didn’t want to listen to me… He doesn’t trust me one bit… It made me furious and I walked out on him… I don’t know… I just feel like, whatever I do or say don’t matter to him. He doesn’t take me seriously…” said Dean.

“Dean… I understand that you feel that way, but… you need to get in his shoes. He only knows you for a week. He can’t possibly know whether you’re trustworthy or not. On top of that, I just revealed that we are true mates. It was only natural that he would assume that we succumbed to our instincts and consummated the mating bond. If it weren’t for your strength of character, I know for a fact that we would have… I’m weak when it comes to you…” said Cas and reached Dean’s face with his hand.

“Cas… you promised…” murmured Dean.

“I know I did… But this is so damn hard… Why did you come, Dean? You know that I can’t control myself, when I’m with you like this… You came alone to my hotel room at night, after a fight with Michael… what were you looking to find here? Can you answer me that?” Cas asked.

“I…” started Dean.

“I know… But you’re not going to like the answer…” Cas said and got even closer to Dean’s face. 

“Cas… we shouldn’t… it’s not right…” Dean said, swallowing audibly.

“And yet here you are… sexy as hell, sitting on my couch… Your lips two inches apart from mine… You want this and you know it…”

“But we said we would be friends…” said Dean, breathing hard.

“Can we really? Be friends I mean… ‘Cause I’m not so sure… Not when we feel like this… You want me as much as I want you… I can see it in your eyes… I can sense it in your scent… It’s obvious from the way you’re breathing right now and from how fast your heart is beating… Just let me have you… this once… I love you so much…” said Cas and closed the gap between their lips, kissing Dean tenderly. Dean went still and at first he wasn’t responding to Cas’ kiss, but soon he found himself kissing him back with eagerness.

“Dean… I’ve waited so long for this…” murmured Cas and kept kissing him.  
“Please… come to bed… I need you…” he went on and dragged Dean on his feet, never stopping kissing his neck and his lips. 

Once they reached the bed, Cas pushed Dean to fall onto it and then lowered himself over the omega’s body and continued his kisses.  
“Cas…” murmured Dean.

“Ssshhh… I’ll take good care of you… I promise…” said Cas and then pulled his shirt over his head, leaving his torso naked for Dean to touch. With hasty movements he then started unbuttoning Dean’s shirt and the moment all buttons were undone, he dived in and started kissing and licking the exposed skin, paying extra attention to Dean’s fast hardening nipples. Dean was now a writhing mess under him and it wasn’t long before Cas could smell his slick. One breath of that sweet smell had his eyes blowing wide with lust. 

“I need to take off your pants right now… I can’t… I want you so much…” said Cas and without warning started unbuttoning and unzipping Dean’s pants. Once they were undone, he quickly raised himself from Dean’s lower half and then dragged them down, along with his briefs, until Dean’s shoes stopped the progress. Cas got off of Dean completely then, removed the omega’s shoes and socks with impatience and then dragged his pants all the way down and off his legs, leaving him completely naked from the waist down, with his cock, rock hard, standing proudly between his legs, while its head was already leaking with pre-cum.

The sight in front of him was driving Cas crazy and he couldn’t wait to get inside the omega. Hastily, he removed his own pants and boxer briefs and then climbed again on top of Dean and started kissing him passionately, while their hard cocks were brushing against one another making them both moan with pleasure. 

“I want to get inside you…” murmured Cas in between kisses and then reached between Dean’s legs with his right hand and after he found his hole, pushed his digit in, making Dean gasp at the sensation.

“Cas…” was all Dean could say.

“I got you, baby…” said Cas and started moving his finger in and out of Dean’s wetness, soon adding a second finger inside and then a third.  
“I think you’re ready”, said Cas and kissed his lips one more time, before he lined himself with the omega’s hole and then entered him torturously slow.

“God…” screamed Dean, earning a wicked smile from Cas.

“You like it, baby?” Cas asked him, kissing him over and over again.

“Just move already…” said Dean and Cas obeyed, starting to thrust inside Dean, slow and deep, grazing over his prostate and making him moan deeply. 

A few minutes passed like that and Castiel’s increasing pace was driving Dean closer and closer towards his orgasm, until he came untouched all over his and Castiel’s stomachs with a shout, while the alpha kept thrusting into him.

“I’m so close, baby… I’m so close…” said Cas and picked up the pace. Before he had a chance to finish, though, something totally unexpected happened. 

Dean’s phone rang inside the pocket of the suit jacket he was still wearing and the omega panicked so much, he pushed Castiel off of him and made him fall on the floor. With watery eyes, he dragged his phone out of the pocket and at the sight of Michael’s name at the screen, he started sobbing hard.

“Oh my God… what have I done?” he said and kept crying.

“Dean?” said Cas, approaching him carefully.

“Stay away from me… I can’t believe I did this to him… Why? Why did you let me do this? Why, Cas? I cheated on him… Oh my God… I can’t… how am I going to face him again after this? We’ve been married and mated for two days and I’ve already cheated on him… No…” said Dean and started wearing his clothes with panicked movements. Cas was just staring at him, shocked, not making any attempt to cover his naked body. His member still hard between his legs.

Once Dean was dressed again, he turned to look at Cas with tears in his eyes.  
“I don’t want to see you again… stay away from me… I mean it”, he said and then ran for the door, opened it and then slammed it hard again behind him. 

…Α-Ω…

Michael ended his third call on Dean’s cell phone. He was starting to panic in earnest now. When he had called earlier at his house to see if Dean arrived safely, Hannah told him that he never came home. He tried his cell phone once, then one more time after a few minutes and now a third, but Dean was nowhere to be found.

“Gabriel, I don’t understand… where could he be? He doesn’t know anyone in New York… It’s not like he could have gone to a friend… Do you think that something might have happened to him?” Michael asked, obviously scared.

“Hey, relax… He might have gone to a club or something and he can’t hear it… or he might just be angry with you and he’s avoiding your calls on purpose… Either way… I’m sure he’s fine. Don’t worry… Just give him some time and he’ll call you back… you’ll see”, said Gabriel, trying to calm his brother.

“I shouldn’t have let him go on his own like that… I should have stopped him… Gabriel, I need to know he’s okay… this uncertainty is killing me…” said Michael.

“Mikey, just pull yourself together… you can’t let your guests see that there is something wrong. We’ll find him… Just relax for now… I’ll try calling him too, okay?” said Gabriel and Michael nodded. Before any of them could do anything else, though, Dean appeared at the entrance of the great hall.

Michael looked at him and was filled with relief, but soon he realized that there was something terribly wrong with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops...!!! Yeah, so... that happened! Any thoughts?


	20. The Name Is "Dick"...

“Dean, baby… what’s the matter?” asked Michael, the second he got to his mate.  
“Are you hurt? Are you okay?” he asked him, while he took his face in his hands.

“No… just… can you please hold me? I need you so much right now…” said Dean and buried his face in Michael’s neck.

“Sshhh… it’s okay… baby… everything is okay… Why are you trembling?” Michael asked him, while holding him tightly against his body.

“I’m sorry that I left like that… please, let’s just forget everything and move forward… I don’t want us to fight anymore… I need you… I… I love you…” said Dean and held onto Michael even tighter.

“It’s okay… don’t worry about it… I love you too…” said Michael with a smile on his lips. Yes, it was true. Dean had just told him that he loved him.  
“Hey… look at me…” he said and lifted Dean’s chin with his hand and then kissed him tenderly on his lips.  
“We’re okay… we’re good…” he went on and kissed him again.  
“Are you hungry? Do you want to come and sit at our table to eat something?”

“Yeah… alright… I could eat something…” said Dean and Michael responded with a nod and a kiss.

“Come…” he said then and moved to the table, where he, his brothers and Lilith, his uncle Zachariah with his wife, Naomi, and Crowley and his wife, Ruby, were sitting.

Once they were both at their seats, Crowley turned his attention to Dean.  
“Oh… so, this is your lovely mate. It’s a pleasure to meet you…” said Crowley and extended his hand for a handshake, while raising a brow questioningly. 

“Uh… Dean. My name is Dean”, said Dean, returning the handshake.

“Oh, I’m Crowley and this is my wife, Ruby”, said Crowley gesturing at the woman beside him.  
“It’s nice to meet you, Dean”, she said then.

“You too…” replied Dean.

“Dean, you shouldn’t leave your mate alone for so long… Michael was really worried about you…” commented Crowley.

“It’s okay… Everything is fine now, so we can all relax… Dean… eat, baby…” said Michael and placed more food on Dean’s plate.

“Oh, you make such a sweet couple”, said Crowley.  
“I assume the rumors weren’t holding that much truth…”

“Mr. McLeod… you shouldn’t believe everything you read in the papers. You know how it is with public figures. The reporters are dying for gossip and when they don’t have any… they tend to create them…” said Michael.

“Well, yes… but there were also people at the wedding who confirmed that…”

“They’re all liars… Nothing happened at the wedding”, said Michael, cutting him off.

“Then, may I ask where your brother is this fine evening? Castiel, was it?” asked Crowley.  
Dean lowered his head and could feel his cheeks blushing with embarrassment.

“My brother was unwell and he couldn’t attend tonight’s party. When he feels better, he’ll come back to work”, said Michael.

“Oh… so, he’s still working here, then…” said Crowley, surprised.

“Why wouldn’t he? I just told you that nothing has happened. It’s all lies… That very fact proves it. My relationship with my brother is fine and so is my marriage…” said Michael and took a sip from his Champagne. The rest of the family members that were sitting at the table just looked at him, but said nothing. Dean wanted to die right there. How could he let that happen? How could he betray Michael like that? This wasn’t going to end well, if Michael were to find out.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I said anything then. I’m glad that everything is good with your family… Now, to change the subject… Did you have the chance to talk to Mr. Roman yet? He told me that he really wanted to meet you, Michael”, said Crowley.

“No, not yet… I’m sure that it can be arranged, though… I’ll invite him later to my office to have a chat with him…” said Michael.

“Too late… He’s already coming our way”, said Lucifer, before drinking a sip from his Champagne. 

Once he reached their table, Michael stood up to greet him.  
“Mr. Roman? How are you? We’re honored to have you here, tonight”, said Michael and shook his hand.

“Oh, please… the honor is all mine… and you can call me Dick.”

“Oh, okay then, Dick… Would you like to have a seat?” Michael asked him.

“Yes, please… but first, I’d like to meet your lovely company”, said Dick and greeted everyone at the table one by one, until he reached Dean.  
“And who is this lovely young man?” he said.

“This is my husband and mate, Dean”, said Michael, before Dean had a chance to say anything.

Dick then surprised everyone by taking Dean’s hand and kissing it.  
“It’s a pleasure, Dean…” he said and winked at him.

“Uhm… it’s nice to meet you, sir…” said Dean and blushed. Dick then let go of his hand and sat on a chair near Michael.

The rest of the evening went smoothly. Everyone at the table started talking business and Dean was happy to sit in the background. Apart from Michael’s hand in his own for the most part and some weird looks he was getting from that Dick guy, nothing else happened that concerned him. Before they were to leave, however, Michael had to make a few rounds and say goodbye to his guests and everyone that was at the party and Dean found a chance to go to the restroom.

Soon, he was going to be alone with Michael and he didn’t know if he could handle it. He felt that the moment they would be alone, his mouth would spill out the truth and Michael would hate him all over again. But he had to... He couldn't keep this a secret. Michael deserved to know the truth. ‘I have to tell him’, he kept thinking, while he was washing his face with water, in front of the restroom’s mirror. But the moment he raised his head to look at his reflection, he froze. Dick was standing right behind him and was staring at him.

Dean immediately turned around, while his heart was pounding like crazy in his chest. This man made him feel uneasy.  
“Can I help you with something?” Dean asked him then.

“Oh, I’m sure you can… Dean… You were gone all night. Where were you?” 

“Uh… just getting some air… Why?”

“Is that so? Well, I wouldn’t really have noticed you were gone, if it weren’t for the fact that I came to this event just to meet you…” Dick replied, letting an evil smile spread on his face.

“What do you mean? I don’t even know you…” said Dean, his heart ready to burst right out of his chest.

“You might don’t know me, but I most certainly know you… Your father must have heard of me too, since he was the one to send me your picture, asking for a mate for you… I made an offer for you and even spoke to your father on the phone once, but Michael froze the proceedings and claimed you for himself. He spent thousands of dollars to get rid of his competitors. And they were many. He doesn’t know it, but he sent a lot of money to me, so that I would stand down… but, after seeing you tonight in person, I’m starting to think that I made a mistake. You are so lovely, Dean… How I wish I could pound inside that little ass of yours”, said Dick, coming closer.

“Stay away from me… Michael is my mate now… he’ll kill you, if you touch me…” said Dean.

“Oh, yeah? He seems to have forgiven his brother quite easily. He let you even go to his apartment for a fuck this evening and he said nothing. He’s very generous. Perhaps he would lend you for a night.”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about… I never…”

“Dean… Dean… Dean… There’s no point in denying it. I saw you leaving tonight and I had my people follow you. They saw you going inside his hotel room and then they heard you screaming in pleasure after a while… I know you were having sex with his brother… So, whether Michael knows it or not… I think I can still make a profit out of it… How about we make a deal? You can let me fuck you and I’ll tell nothing to Michael. Or if he already knows it, which I sincerely doubt it, I could ask him to lend you to me, since he doesn’t seem to care so much, if he’s sharing you with his brother.”

“Stay the hell away from me… I’ll scream, if you touch me…” said Dean, bracing himself on the counter.

“Relax… I’ll let you think about it… you have until tomorrow at noon. If I don’t get an answer from you by then, I’ll send Michael these interesting pictures of you going inside his brother’s hotel room and then getting out, all fucked up, with your shirt open and jizz on your stomach. I think he’s gonna love those… What do you think?” he said and started laughing at Dean’s terrified face.  
“Goodnight, Dean… For your sake, I hope you call me tomorrow… This is my card”, he said and placed a small card next to Dean on the counter and then vanished out the door.

“I’m so screwed”, said Dean and sank on the floor.

…Α-Ω…

Michael and Dean got back in their apartment an hour or so later and as soon as they were in, Michael spoke.  
“You were awfully quiet on the way home… What is it, baby? I can see that something is troubling your mind…” said Michael, while throwing his suit jacket on the couch.

“Uhm… how well do you know that Dick guy?” said Dean, hesitating.

“Who? Richard Roman? Not well… I’ve never worked with him before, but we’re thinking cooperating with his company now… Why?” asked Michael, puzzled by Dean’s question.

“Please, don’t work with him… I don’t like him…” said Dean.

“Did he say or do something to you?” asked Michael, getting tensed. It was ridiculous for Dean to feel so strongly about the man. He barely knew him.

“I…” started Dean and Michael interrupted him.

“Dean, baby… whatever it is you can tell me…” said Michael, taking Dean in his arms and then kissing his forehead.  
“What is it?”

“Did you know that he was one of my suitors?” asked Dean and felt Michael stiffen around him.  
“He found me in the restroom, before we left and he said that he had even spoken to my dad once on the phone, but that you bought him off and he stopped pursuing me.”

“I… no, I didn’t know that… There were a lot of people I had to buy off in order to make them back down… My lawyers were the ones who did the transactions. I never knew where the money was going… Why did he tell you that? And why didn’t he tell me?” asked Michael, holding Dean tighter in his arms.

Dean turned to look at him and then buried his face in the crook of his neck, nuzzling the point where he had bitten him.  
“Michael… I need to tell you something… and you’re not going to like it…” said Dean and held tighter onto the other man, who stiffened again in his arms.

“What’s wrong?” Michael said, scenting Dean’s hair.

“I… when I left earlier, I went to see Cas…” Dean said, burying his face deeper in Michael’s neck, unable to face him.

“You mean you went and talked to him?” asked Michael in a cold tone, but didn’t let go of Dean and kept holding him tightly.

“Well, that was the plan… I was furious and I needed to talk to someone… Cas was the only one I knew…”

“How did you know where to find him?” Michael asked coldly.

“I… I called him and asked…” said Dean and started trembling in Michael’s arms.

“Where did you get his number? Did you search my phone?”

“No, he gave it to me… in a letter he wrote the day of our wedding, after what happened. He wanted to apologize…”

“I see… And? What happened? Did you just talk to him or did you do more?” asked Michael and tightened his grip on Dean, making it a little painful.

“I… we… we had sex…” said Dean and braced himself for Michael’s outburst. He was afraid that he was going to hit him.

However, nothing happened. A few minutes passed in complete silence, while they were still in each other’s arms. But then, Michael finally spoke again.  
“Did he knot you or leave any mark on your body? Did he claim you in any way?”

“No, I pushed him away, before he had a chance to come… I… he didn’t mark me either…”

“Why did you make him stop?” asked Michael coldly. He could feel his eyes watering, although, he was trying hard not to cry.

“Uh… you called me on my cell phone and I… I realized what a huge mistake I was making… I’m so sorry…” said Dean and started crying in Michael’s neck.

“Was it enough? Is he now out of your system or do you want him more than you did before?” said Michael, placing his hand on Dean’s hair, stroking them a little painfully.

“I… I’ll never do it again…”

“That’s not what I asked you, Dean… Do you want him more than before?” Michael said, pulling Dean’s head by his hair and making him look at him.

“No… I don’t… I only want you… I love you…” said Dean and without warning, he moved forward and shoved his tongue in Michael’s mouth, making the older man moan deeply. With both hands, he then grabbed his mate’s head and started kissing him desperately and passionately, while pushing him backwards with his body and causing Michael to fall on the couch. 

Dean’s eyes were blown with lust and the moment he pulled apart from Michael’s lips to take a breath, he tore Michael’s shirt with his hands, making the alpha growl underneath him like an animal. In return, Michael took control again and pushed Dean off of him, causing the omega to fall on the floor and then crawled on top of him again and started kissing him with all he had. With fast and desperate movements, he unzipped Dean’s pants and took Dean’s already hard member in his hand and started pumping it fast and clumsily, having no rhythm at all in his strokes. Dean started moaning underneath him and kept rocking his hips in Michael’s fist to get more friction.

“I want you on your hands and knees”, said Michael then, all color gone from his eyes and replaced by lust’s black. Dean obeyed immediately and turned around hastily, making his pants and underwear pool to his knees and presenting his ass close to Michael’s face, as the other man unzipped his pants and let free his hard and leaking member. Then with both his hands, he pushed Dean’s ass cheeks apart and after he lowered himself, he buried his tongue inside Dean’s sweet slick, causing the omega to tremble and moan. Fast and deep, he worked his tongue in and out and then started sucking on Dean’s hole, swallowing all of Dean’s juices and making the omega come on the carpet underneath him, filling it with white stripes of sperm and making his hole clench and unclench.

“Oh… yeah…” screamed Dean, as Michael kept eating him inside out. 

“This pretty little pink hole is only for me to fuck and eat… do you understand me?” said Michael and placed two fingers inside the heat to the knuckle, with one go.

“Yeah… I understand… Please… I want you to fuck me…” pleaded Dean.

“I will, baby… I will…” said Michael and after he removed his fingers, he lined the head of his cock with Dean’s hole and pushed right in, until he was balls deep inside the omega.  
“Tell me…” said Michael, starting to move fast and hard, in and out of Dean’s body, while breathing hard.  
“Who’s bigger? Who’s filling you up the best… huh? Me or Cas?” he said and started thrusting harder and deeper inside Dean, hitting the omega’s prostate dead on.

“You are…” said Dean, wrecked underneath him, moaning and trying his hardest to stay in his place as Michael’s forceful thrusts were pushing them forward.

“Tell me to whom you belong to… who is your alpha…” said Michael and kept thrusting in and out of him, while gripping his hips hard, bruising the skin underneath his fingers.

“You are, Michael… ugh… you are… You’re my alpha… My beautiful… ugh… strong… ugh… alphaaa…” screamed Dean and felt the familiar warmth pooling low in his belly and then he was coming hard for the second time in the last few minutes, clenching and unclenching around Michael’s member and milking him of his cum too, causing the alpha’s knot to swell and lock them together.

Michael stopped moving then and tried to catch his breath.  
“I love you…” he said and placed a kiss on Dean’s back of the neck, feeling the omega’s sweaty skin underneath his lips.  
“Don’t do that again… The next time you cheat on me with Cas, things won’t be fixed with sex. I won’t forgive you…” he said and kissed him again, a little lower on his back, between the omega’s shoulder blades. Dean just kept breathing hard and fast under Michael’s weight, still on his hands and knees.

“I love you…” Dean muttered.

“I really want to believe that... Even after everything…” said Michael and hugged him tightly, lifting him up from the floor, still buried deep inside his body. With steady steps he reached the couch and then fell backwards on it, bringing Dean to sit on his lap, with his back against his chest.  
“Are you okay? Was I too forceful? I didn’t mean to hurt you…” said Michael and kissed Dean’s neck.

“No, it’s okay… I liked it… it was different from our other times… It was more passionate… and primal…” said Dean and rested his head on Michael’s shoulder and then turned and kissed him on his lips.

“Dean? You never finished what you wanted to tell me about Dick Roman… did he want something from you?” Michael said and then kissed Dean’s temple.

“He said that when he saw me tonight, he knew that he made a mistake, giving up on me… He said that he heard the rumors about me and Cas and that he would ask you to lend me to him, since you were clearly okay with sharing me with your brother.”

“What the hell?” said Michael, angrily.

“He knew I went to Cas’ hotel room, tonight. He had his people follow me and they took pictures of me, after I left. He threatened me that he would tell you, if I didn’t sleep with him…” said Dean and felt Michael’s arms tighten around him.  
“He gave me his card and gave me a deadline to call him and tell him of my decision until tomorrow at noon. Or, he said that he would send you the pictures…” finished Dean and buried his face in Michael’s neck, once more.

“Is that why you decided to tell me about Cas?” Michael said and rubbed soothing circles on Dean’s stomach.

“No… I was going to tell you, when we returned home… I didn’t want to do it during the gala. I didn’t want to upset you in front of everyone… When he found me in the restroom, I was thinking exactly that… What I was going to tell you… how I could make it, so that I wouldn’t hurt you…”

“I can't say that I'm not hurt... 'Cause I am... but I'm willing to forgive you this time… Partly because it was me who caused it. You were upset, because of me and went to find him... As for that dick, Dick... Now I know what an asshole he is and I’m not planning to cooperate with him like ever…”

“Can I ask you a question?” said Dean and played with Michael’s hand that was resting on his stomach, drawing absent circles with his fingertips.  
“How come you're willing to forgive me so easily about Cas? Is it because you thought that it already had happened?”

“Well… kinda… I guess it was easier for me in comparison to the first time I found out about it... The last two days I thought that you and Cas had done it more than once… I guess I got used to the idea… I was going to forgive you then… why shouldn’t I do it now? I’m just glad he didn’t finish inside you… I wouldn’t want to start thinking of the possibility of you getting pregnant by him… Now that I know that there were no other times”, said Michael and Dean turned his head, so that they could kiss on the lips.

“It wouldn’t work anyway… I need to be in heat for it to work…” said Dean.

“Do you think that the times we… you know… during your heat… Could you have caught then?” said Michael and kept rubbing Dean’s stomach and belly.

“I don’t know… maybe… I guess we’ll find out…” said Dean and kissed him again.

“I want a child from you… A little boy or a little girl, with your beautiful green eyes and your dirty blonde hair… You are so beautiful… I love you…”

“I love you too…” said Dean and then leaned back again and closed his eyes, feeling content in his mate’s arms.


	21. Fool Me Once, Shame on You... Fool Me Twice, Shame on Me!

Cas was staring at the ceiling above his head, lying still on the bed and wearing only a pair of briefs that he managed to put on, after Dean walked out on him, while they were having sex. He hadn’t slept all night and there were black circles under his eyes. He couldn’t believe what had happened. One moment, he had Dean in his arms and was making love to him, feeling like he was in heaven, and the next, that damn phone was ringing, bringing Dean in full panic mode and condemning Cas to his personal hell again. 

After Dean left him, Cas couldn’t move at first. He just stood there, staring at the door, silent and completely naked, still hard and filled with cum on his stomach from his previous actions with Dean. It took all of his strength to just put on that damn pair of briefs, when he felt his cock becoming soft again and then fall on the bed, only to start staring at the ceiling, until morning came.

Around half past seven, his cell phone started to ring, making him jump to pick it up, thinking that it could be Dean, but when he saw that they were calling again from Michael’s office –like they had done the previous afternoon, to inform him of Michael’s decision that he was to keep his position on the board and at the company- he put it back on the nightstand and went back to staring at the ceiling. Ten calls later, however, he had had enough and decided to answer it.

“Hello”, he said in a tired and hoarse voice.

“Where the hell are you, bro?” came Gabriel’s voice from the other end of the line.

“Gabe, what do you want? I thought they were calling from the office again”, said Cas, sitting up on the bed and then started rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

“That’s exactly why I’m calling you. I am at the office and Michael’s assistant, Meg, came and pleaded me to get in touch with you, because she said that you wouldn’t pick up your damn phone. Well… that’s not exactly how she said it, but you get the point.”

“What do you want?” said Cas grumpily, while getting up from the bed and walking towards the window to shut the drapes.

“I want you to get up from your bed and bring your ass here for work. Michael gave you another chance here, Cas… don’t blow it!”

Cas just snorted and then he spoke.  
“Has he come yet?”

“No, not yet… So, you still have time”, said Gabriel.

“Well, after last night, I don’t think he’s gonna want me in the company…”

“Why? What happened last night?” asked Gabriel, curiously.  
“And when? I mean… he was fine until he went home with Dean. Did something happen afterwards?”

“I’m sorry, what? He went home with Dean?” asked Cas, shocked.

“Yeah! Why is that weird to you? I mean, they had had a fight earlier and Dean left for a little while… but then he came back and they made up! They were both fine when they left… Do you know something I don’t?” asked Gabriel. 

“Uhm… no, clearly I don’t… I… I’ll see you at the office. I’ll shower real quickly and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Okay… See you, bro!” said Gabriel and hang up the phone.

“What the fuck?” muttered Castiel. Was this for real? So, Dean decided not to tell Michael that they had sex, then. It couldn’t be explained otherwise. Dean had left him like that and then went to Michael like nothing was wrong. This was the only explanation.

…Α-Ω…

Once Castiel entered his office, Gabriel was already waiting for him inside, playing with a softball that almost hit Castiel in his face, the second he opened the door.

“What the hell, Gabe?” said Cas, closing the door behind him.

“Oh, sorry… I didn’t see you there…” said Gabriel, getting up from his chair to get back the small ball.

“You think my office is a damn playground?” said Cas, while dropping his briefcase on the couch and then went to sit on his chair.

“What’s with the sunglasses inside, Cassie? What are you? Some kind of an untalented, douche movie-star?” said Gabriel, sitting back on the chair in front of Castiel’s desk.

“I have a headache, okay? And there are too many damn lights in here…” said Cas.

“Would you mind taking them off? I feel weird looking at your sunglasses instead of your eyes. What’s the matter? Were you drinking again last night? Is that why you couldn’t get up this morning?”

“No, I wasn’t… and I wasn’t sleeping either… I couldn’t sleep”, said Cas and took off his sunglasses.

“Wow, man! When was the last time you slept? Your face was already fucked up… Now it’s just… sad… I see why you had to wear sunglasses…”

“Oh, bite me, Gabriel… Don’t you have any work to do? Why are you in my office?” said Cas, rubbing soothing circles on his forehead.

“Well, Michael came a few minutes after we talked and he said that he wants to see us in the conference room at nine sharp, to talk about that new project we’ve got going on… So, you’d better drink a coffee and an aspirin or something ASAP, ‘cause we need to get going…”

“Who else is going to be at the meeting?” asked Cas.

“Well, besides us… the usual… Lucy, Zach… oh… and that chick, Bela… She’ll represent Crowley.”

“Great… can’t wait…” said Cas sarcastically and dropped his head on his desk.

“Are you okay? We didn’t have a chance to talk after I took you to the airport…”

“Oh… yeah… I’m peachy!” said Cas and got up from his chair.

“Have you spoken with Anna?” asked Gabriel then, surprising him.

“No, I haven’t… I emptied the apartment the day before yesterday and went to a hotel… Now I’m just looking for a place to rent… Is she back? Or is she still in California?”

“No, she’s not… She went to see her parents in Ohio… Dad told me that she took time off from her work to stay with them for a while… She wasn’t feeling very well… As for the other thing, I think I might be able to help you. My friend Garth has an apartment for rent… I’ll give you his number to call him and go check it out, if you want…”

“Uh… thanks… I really appreciate it. Honestly, I’m not really in the mood to be searching for apartments right now.”

“Don’t mention it…”

“Now, let’s just get over with that stupid meeting, okay?”

“Yeah, okay… Let’s roll…” said Gabriel and winked at him, before he opened the door. 

…Α-Ω…

When they reached the conference room, everyone was there, except for that chick, Bela, Gabriel had told Cas about. Michael was sitting at the head of the table, talking to Zachariah, who was sitting on his left side, while the seat to his right side remained vacant. Gabriel took a seat beside Lucifer, who was sitting next to the empty chair, looking bored as usual, and Cas sat down next to Zachariah, catching Michael’s attention.

“… So, what do you want me to do with it? Michael?” asked Zachariah, trying to get his attention.

“I’m sorry, what?” asked Michael. He was too busy staring at Castiel to hear what his uncle had told him.

“About the contracts… Do you want me to go through with the deal?” Zachariah asked him again.

“Uh… yeah… It should be fine… do that”, said Michael and then turned his attention back to his brother.

“Castiel? Did you have any time to look at the papers Zach emailed you yesterday… for the project?” Michael asked him in a cold tone. 

Zachariah and Gabriel started glancing anxiously between the two and Lucifer seemed interested at the conversation for the first time, since he entered the room.

Cas raised his tired eyes to stare at his brother.  
“No… not really… To be honest, I wasn’t sure, if I was going to come today… You have to thank Gabriel for convincing me…”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Cassie… we didn’t mean to disturb your sleep. Excuse us for letting you keep your damn job and not throwing you to the streets…” Michael said, glaring daggers at him.

“I don’t need your pity, Michael. I already have offers in other companies… You are the one who needs me here and that’s why you didn’t accept my resignation. You didn’t do it for me… You did it for yourself… Like you always do… always thinking about yourself…” said Cas.

“Oh, yeah? Is that so? And who were you thinking about, when you decided to ruin my wedding day? You’re pathetic… you know that? Fabricating lies to catch people’s attention?”

“Lies? I didn’t lie… Perhaps I chose a bad moment to speak the truth, but it wasn’t a lie… Dean is my true mate, whether you like it or not… and sooner or later he’s going to realize it and leave your sorry ass…”

“Yeah, keep dreaming, Cas… you’ve ruined your wedding and your life for nothing. Dean loves me and he’ll never leave me… He’s happy with me…”

“Oh, I’m sure he is. That’s why he came to my hotel room yesterday and we fucked. Because he loves you so much…” said Cas, unable to control himself. His brother was making him furious.

Everyone stared with wide eyes then, waiting for Michael’s response, who was looking, pained, at the table in front of him.  
“Is that true?” Gabriel said after a few seconds of silence. 

From the way Michael was acting, Cas could tell that he already knew it. So, Dean did tell him then...  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that in front of everyone…” he said.

Michael laughed a bitter laugh then.  
“Why? When did that ever stop you? It seems that you have made it your life’s goal to embarrass me with every chance you get…” said Michael, standing up from his seat.

“Cas, how could you?” asked Gabriel, looking shocked. 

Cas looked down at his hands, feeling utterly embarrassed. 

“Michael… did you know about this?” Gabriel asked his older brother.

“Yeah… I did…” admitted Michael, after a few seconds, while looking the other way.

“All this happened yesterday? I had the most boring day…” said Lucifer.

“Lucifer, shut the hell up…” said Gabriel, glaring at him.

“What?” said Lucifer, pouting.

“Michael? What happened between you and Dean? Did you fight with him? Are you guys getting a divorce?” asked Gabriel, making Cas look up, waiting for Michael’s response.

“Well, that lasted long… Way to go, Cassie”, said Lucifer and raised his hand for a high-five.

Gabriel just grabbed it and pushed it painfully back down to Lucifer’s side.  
“Hey… that hurt…” said Lucifer.

“Stop being a jerk, Lucifer”, said Gabriel.

Michael just glared at Lucifer and then turned his attention back to Gabriel and spoke.  
“Why would we be getting a divorce? I just said that Dean and I are fine” he said, like Gabriel was asking the most stupid question ever.

“Are you kidding me? He just cheated on you with your own brother, only two days after your wedding and you’re going to forgive him?” said Gabriel.

“Yes… because he made a mistake and he knows that… Dean loves me and I love him… I’m not gonna let this get between us…”

“Michael, are you listening to yourself? This little omega slut is going to tear apart your whole family… I can’t believe you still trust him… What else do you want him to do to see what he really is? A whore… He’s only after your money and is manipulating both you and Castiel with sex… Are you so blind that you can’t see that?” asked Zachariah.  
“If you ask me, I think you should file for divorce… Our lawyers will see that he gets nothing from your fortune. Do it now, before he gets pregnant and takes it all”, he went on.

“Nobody asked you, Zachariah… I’m not divorcing Dean. So, you can all shut the hell up… The only one I don’t trust is Cas, who keeps trying to make him leave me… Stay away from him, Cas… I mean it… or you’ll regret the day you were born”, Michael yelled at him.

“I don’t have to make him do anything… He’ll do it all by himself. He doesn’t need me to tell him, to know that this wedding is a sham… He’s miserable with you… Yeah, I know all about your married life. I know that you made him sleep in a different room and that you won’t let him touch you… He told me how cold you are with him… You didn’t even let his family stay with him, you monster… You just have him locked up in his golden cage, afraid that if you open the door, he’ll fly away. And you were right to think that, because the first chance he got, he did.”

“Well, if you know all about my marriage, I guess I should also inform you that after the night of passion I spent with him, yesterday, I left him sleeping naked in my bed this morning… And unlike you, I knew how to knot him… You weren’t even capable to finish what you started. He left you and you were still hard, weren’t you? You fuck so lousy that he didn’t even let you go all the way and he left in the middle of your fuck session…” said Michael. Castiel just looked at him with a pained expression on his face and then got up from his chair.

“You’ll have my resignation letter in your office by noon. This time don’t tear it up. I don’t want to work here anymore”, said Cas and walked towards the door.

“Like I would ever make that same mistake again. You can go to hell, for all I care… I don’t want to see you ever again. Get the hell out…” screamed Michael.

The moment Cas opened the door to leave, Bela was about to enter and was taken aback by his presence right in front of her.  
“Excuse me”, said Cas and walked past her. 

Bela looked confused, but closed the door behind her nonetheless.  
“I’m sorry I was late… Did I miss something?” she asked.

“No, Miss Talbot… you may take your seat… You didn’t miss anything… We were just about to start”, said Michael and sat back down on his chair.

“Very well, then…” she said and took her seat next to Michael.

…Α-Ω…

The minute Cas got inside his office again, he started pacing the room from side to side angrily, until he threw everything that was on his desk down, in a moment of pure rage. Then, he sank down on the floor and started hitting his head repeatedly at the front side of his desk, until he burst into tears and finally stopped hurting himself. It wasn’t long before he decided that he had to call Dean and talk to him. After everything that happened in that room, he really needed to hear his voice.

When he brought his cell phone to his ear, he had to wait for a while, before Dean finally picked it up.  
“Mmm…” he heard Dean’s sleepy voice at the other end of the line.

“Dean?” he said in a panicked voice.

“Mmm? Who is this?” muttered Dean, obviously still half sleeping.

“It’s me, Cas…” said Cas in an urgent tone.

He then heard some shuffling, like Dean was moving around in his bed and after that, Dean spoke again, this time fully awake.  
“Cas? What do you want? Why are you calling me? I thought I told you that I didn’t want to talk to you again…” said Dean.

“Dean, please tell me that he lied to me…” said Cas, feeling new tears running down his face.

“What are you talking about? Who lied to you?” asked Dean, confused.

“Michael… Tell me that he lied, when he said that you had sex with him last night, after we did it… Tell me that you didn’t sleep with him in his bed… Please… tell me that it’s all lies…” said Cas, while sobbing hard.

Dean didn’t answer right away.  
“I can’t tell you that… I… me and Michael… We’re back together… We made up last night… I told him everything and he forgave me…” Dean said after a while.

“No… no… no… Dean… Baby, you can’t do this to me. Please, don’t do it. I need you… I… you can’t be sleeping with him. I’m the one you love… you know I am… Why are you torturing me, when I love you so much? Why? Why are you doing this to me?” asked Cas and kept sobbing.

“Cas, calm the fuck down… What the hell? You knew that this would happen. We’re married… sooner or later we would start sleeping together again… Why is this such a shock to you?”

“Are you really asking me this? How am I supposed to feel, when you left me while we were making love and then went and slept with my brother? Why, Dean? How could you? Your slick hadn’t even dried from when I was inside you and you let Michael enter you? Why did you do this to me?” said Cas.

“I didn’t do anything to you… I made love with my husband, like I’m supposed to. You are the one I never should have slept with”, said Dean with a serious tone in his voice.

“You can’t mean that… I was in Heaven, when I was with you, yesterday… Those were the happiest moments of my life and you’re saying they meant nothing to you?” said Cas.

“Cas… just let it go, man… It wasn’t meant to be… I wish I had met you first… Before Michael… Before you met Anna… Then things would be different… but it’s not like that… And you know it… I can’t change what happened… I’m with Michael now… you have to accept it”, said Dean.

“No… it’s not fair… I don’t want to accept it. The very things you say right now, prove that you love me and not him, but you’re just staying with him out of obligation, because you’re married with him”, said Cas.

“I’m not staying out of obligation… I’m staying, because I love him”, said Dean and paused.  
“The last days I was miserable, because I thought that he didn’t want me anymore… I was never happier to sleep in his arms than I was last night… I had missed him.”

“No… you’re lying. You’re just telling me all that to make me back down. You’re trying to hurt me, so that I will let you go and forget about you… But you don’t have to try, Dean… It will never work… You’re my true mate and I’ll never let you go… whatever you might tell me… I’ll have you again in my arms… I just know it… We’ll grow old together, surrounded by our children and then our grandchildren… Our love will never die, because we’re soul mates and we’ll keep loving each other, even after we die… So, stop lying… you don’t love him… You’ll never love him the way you love me… Stop lying to yourself…” 

“Goodbye, Cas”, said Dean and hang up the phone, leaving Castiel staring at the cell phone in his hand. 

This couldn’t be the end. It couldn’t be…


	22. You Can't Choose Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hello! I'm back! 
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos and comments you've left so far... I really appreciate it and it really inspires me to write more... Sorry for not posting the previous days, but I had to study... Now, however, I officially welcome the summer!
> 
> This one isn't such a big chapter, but don't worry I'll post again soon enough. The story isn't really moving forward in this chapter, but we learn important things about the past! I hope you enjoy it... I felt a little rusty, while writing it! LOL! :)

Michael was tensed during the whole meeting and his mind wasn’t really on the job, for the first time in years. How dared Castiel say all those things and most importantly, in front of their whole family! It seemed that these days, Cas had fallen so low that he didn’t care about what other people would think of him. But why did Michael have to pay for his stupidity? It wasn’t enough that he had sex with his spouse, after ruining their wedding, he had to go and tell everybody? Michael hated the smug expression on Lucifer’s face and he hated the pity looks he was getting from Gabriel. His uncle was just looking pissed, but other than that, he wasn’t paying any attention to him and he was the only one who was actually paying any attention to the meeting. Besides Miss Talbot, of course. So, it was a great relief when the meeting was finally over.

“I think that covers everything”, said Bela.

“Yeah… absolutely. I think it’s high time we all returned to our offices. I have a lot of work to do. Miss Talbot, please inform us of any objection Mr. McLeod might have. Now, if you excuse me…” said Michael and got up from his chair. It only took him two seconds and he was out the door and after a few moments, so were Zachariah and Bela, leaving Lucifer and Gabriel alone in the room.

“I can’t believe everything that’s been happening these days. I mean… seriously? What the fuck is wrong with Cas? I can’t believe he would do that to his own brother… and Michael… I can’t believe he knew and he wasn’t going to say anything… What the fuck is wrong with him? What has that omega done to both of them? He’s making them act all crazy and shit and none of them blames him. They blame each other… Michael actually forgave Dean after he cheated on him… That’s not how our brother used to be. If anyone dared to go against him, he would break their bones… I mean, not literally… but you get my point… And now he has the omega dragging him from his balls and he says nothing…” said Gabriel and sighed.

Lucifer just snorted at his brother’s words.  
“Seriously? You find that weird? I always knew Michael was a sissy… If you ask me, Dean is the Alpha in this relationship and Michael is the bitch… Did you see how that omega rode him at the ceremony? Wow, talking about control! And I’m afraid our little brother, Cassie, has taken from Michael and that’s why he acts like that… But I have to admit that the kid has some balls to go and say all that in front of everyone… Michael’s face was hilarious, when Cas said that he fucked Dean… he really didn’t expect him to say that, although he knew…” said Lucifer and started laughing.

“Is this a joke to you? Can’t you see that this thing is tearing our family apart? How can you laugh? Lucifer, this is serious. For once in your life, do the responsible thing and stand by your brothers’ side, instead of mocking them…”

“Stand by Michael? The way he did, when our father threw me out of the house with his help? No, Gabriel… not happening… I’m gonna enjoy all this mess, because it’s exactly what he deserves and worse… Michael always gets to have everything… The company, the big apartment… all the money and the glory… He was even named our clan leader… what a joke! He deserves to be mocked…” spat Lucifer.

“Michael has earned everything that he’s earned, because he was capable and not because everything just happened to fall in his lap… He worked hard to get where he is now and you know it.”

“None of that would have happened, if dad hadn’t given him the company, so don’t give me that crap about how capable our brother is. Dad decided to hand it over to him and then Michael, the big saint that he is, took us in to work for him and gave us a few shares that are a joke, while he kept the lion share for himself. This company was supposed to be shared equally by all of us… and now we’re playing Michael’s bitches. Cas is the smart one that he got out when he did… If you ask me, I want Dean to leave Michael and stay with Cas. All Dean is to Michael is just another prize… Cas is the one that actually loves the omega… Even I can see that and you call me emotionless.”

“You’re wrong… Michael really cares about Dean. I’ve seen how he is with him… and as for the other thing, dad gave Michael the company, because he presented the best idea. We all had our chance… And anyway, the company was falling apart when Michael took it. If it is as successful as it is today, it’s only because of him.”

“I didn’t have the chance…”

“No, because, apparently, drugs were more important to you at the time… Don’t blame Michael for your own mistakes. Be thankful that he told dad and helped him send you to rehab. You owe them your life, if nothing more… Michael did what he did, because he loves you and he wanted you to be healthy again… You were a mess, Luke… We all thought that you might die. And now look at you… You have your health, a good job and you are married to a beautiful woman… and that’s another thing you owe them. That rehabilitation center was where you met Lilith… You helped each other and got out of that nightmare together… stronger.”

“You take that back… I sure as hell don’t owe Michael my wife. He betrayed me and he and dad threw me to that awful place… Lilith was a ray of sunshine in that shithole… Michael doesn’t get to take credit for that. If I’m okay again, it’s only because of her and not because of that stupid place and Michael. I asked for his help and he betrayed me… he was ashamed of me and wanted me out of the way… It seems that I was an obstacle to his great plans to take over the world. Next thing you know, he’ll want to become president… His ambitions have no limit…” said Lucifer.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about… Michael was miserable when you were away… He started working constantly, so that he wouldn’t think about you all the time… He was always in touch with your doctors, asking about you, but he didn’t dare to come see you, because you refused to see him… You don’t know anything… All these years you hate him and all Michael ever did, was to protect you. And now you just want to see him destroyed… I don’t understand you… I don’t want to take sides here, Luke… I just want both my brothers to be okay… ‘cause I love them, just like I love you…”

“That’s why you’ll always be the victim, Gabe… You’re always so damn naive. The day that Michael will lose everything isn’t far. And when it comes, I’ll make sure to enjoy it. For once, he will be at the bottom, just like he deserves…” said Lucifer, getting up from his chair.

“What are you talking about? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” asked Gabriel, alarmed.

“Nothing and everything…”

“Lucifer, are you planning something stupid?”

“Of course not… I’m just saying that if there is a god, Michael will get what he deserves in the end… And that will start by losing Dean”, said Lucifer and left the room, leaving Gabriel staring at the door. His brother’s words and behavior were more than suspicious. He had to keep an eye on him, but before he did anything about that, he had to see Cas.

…Α-Ω…

When Gabriel entered Castiel’s office again, he found his brother sitting on the floor, with his back resting at the front of his desk, drinking from a bottle of whiskey and looking terrible. This sad image was completed with papers and other stuff that were thrown all over the place, making the office look like a bomb had gone off in there.

“Cas?” he said carefully.

“Oh, it’s you… how was the meeting?” Castiel asked sarcastically.

“Like you care about the meeting… What the hell is wrong with you, man? Why are you drinking again? And what the hell was that show in there? Have you lost your mind?”

“It seems that I have… and for what? Nobody seems to care about how I feel… not even Dean… I’ve lost everything for him and he just doesn’t care…” said Cas, taking another sip from the bottle.

“Cas, you should know better… This infatuation over this omega needs to stop right now… How sure are you about this whole ‘true mates’ thing? I feel that you’re imagining things here… If it was real, Dean wouldn’t want to stay with Michael… True mates are supposed to be inseparable. All Dean does is lead you on, while he chooses to stay with Michael. I think that he’s playing you… and maybe… maybe the only reason you want him so much is because he is a male omega… Have you ever thought of that? He’s the first you ever met… Maybe that’s why you’re so thrilled about him and not because he’s your true mate… He doesn’t seem to care about you the way you do about him… Cas, stop throwing away your life for him…” said Gabriel, kneeling next to his brother.

“I called him earlier, you know…” said Cas and lowered his head.

“You did? What did he say to you?” asked Gabriel, surprised.

“I… he told me to let him go… he told me that he loves him… I… I don’t know what to think anymore, Gabe… I feel so hurt and I just… I want to get away from all of this… Maybe you’re right… maybe we’re not true mates, after all… Since I’m the only one who’s in love with the other… I need to get away and clear my head… It’s not like I have a job or anything, anyway… I think I’ll even leave New York for a while…”

“That’s good… that’s good… You should do that. Go and clear your head… you really need some alone time… Think this through… and for the love of God, stop drinking, Cas… We already have a former drug addict in our family, we don’t need an alcoholic too. Just get away and try to relax… You need this… you deserve this… I don’t want you to keep fighting with Michael… Dean isn’t worth it… You and Michael are brothers… you’re blood. We don’t need another drama in this family… It’s already too much…”

“I know… I… I don’t want this anymore than you do, trust me, but… I’m afraid my relationship with Michael is ruined for good… The thing is, I don’t really care… Right now I’m so furious with him that I would be okay with never talking to him again…”

“Don’t say that, Cas… you can’t mean that… And anyway, I don’t understand why you’re so mad at him… You’re the one who slept with his husband and ruined his wedding. Michael only defended what was his”, said Gabriel, taking the bottle from Castiel’s hands.

“And how do you think that makes me feel? Because of him, I can’t be with the man I love…”

“For God’s sake, you only know him for a damn week. How can you say that you’re in love with him? You don’t even know the guy. You barely have spent any time with him…”

“I know you’re right to say that and that it sounds crazy, but that’s how I feel… I love him… I don’t know how else to explain it… If it’s not because we’re true mates, maybe it was love at first sight… I don’t know… After our talk, however, I’ve decided to let him go, if that’s what he really wants… I don’t want to feel like crap anymore, if he doesn’t feel the way I do about him… But I can’t sit around and see him with Michael either”, said Castiel and paused.   
“I… I was thinking of going to Washington…”

“Why would you go there?” asked Gabriel, puzzled, but then realization hit him hard.  
“No, Cas… you can’t be serious… You’re actually thinking of going to her? You know that dad is gonna flip, if he finds this out, right?”

“I don’t want to be alone and… I can’t be with any of you… She’s the only one that I have left that might take me in… I need her… now more than ever…”

“What makes you think she’ll even want to see you? She hasn’t made any contact in years…” said Gabriel, pacing nervously around the room. 

“That’s not true…” said Cas and lowered his head.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Gabriel and stopped dead in his tracks.

“I… She was in touch with me… I… I’ve been talking to her from time to time for years…” 

“You… you what? What the hell, Cas? And you never said anything? How could you keep this from us?” said Gabriel.

“I… I knew how you would react, if you found out… If dad were to find out… I just didn’t want you to prevent me from talking to her… She’s our mother, Gabe… I need her in my life, in spite of the mistakes she’s made…”

“Un-frigging-believable… The bombs just keep on coming… Cas, are you out of your mind? ‘The mistakes she has made’? Really? Because of her, Lucifer almost died…”

“I don’t agree… It wasn’t her fault…”

“He got addicted because of her! How can you say that it wasn’t her fault? She was the one who brought drugs in the house… If it wasn’t for her, Lucifer would never have taken any drugs and now his relationship with Michael wouldn’t be like crap… They loved each other deeply, before all that… They were each other’s best friend and then everything went to hell.”

“They seem to be fine… The only one that’s got cast out of our loving family is me… Dad already hates me and so does Michael now… What is left for me to do? Why can’t I go see mom? I’ve missed her…” said Cas, getting up from the ground for the first time since Gabriel came to see how he was doing.

“You know what? Do whatever the hell you want… I don’t care… Why do I even try to put any sense to any of you? I’ll mind my own business from now on... Oh, and when you see mom, give her this for me”, said Gabriel, raising his middle finger in an offensive way and then got out of Castiel’s office, slamming the door behind him.

These days, everyone seemed to be at each other’s throats and things were about to get a lot worse.


	23. What a "Dick" Move!

When Michael entered his office, he dropped on his chair and let an exasperated sigh fall from his lips. He was starting to get really tired with all the shit that had been going on and he felt like he couldn’t handle any more. He felt hurt for being cheated on and felt awful about fighting with his brother, but if there was a relationship he was willing to sacrifice here, it was his with Cas and not the one he had with Dean. He knew that he was putting a lot of faith in him and he really wanted to believe that Dean would stay loyal to him from now on. Nevertheless, seeing it from everyone else’s perspective, he knew it was possible that he was making a huge mistake. He wasn’t ready to let go of his marriage, though. Maybe Dean didn’t have much respect for the vows he gave, but for Michael they meant a lot. 

Not two minutes had passed since he went in his office and there was a knock on the door. Michael closed his eyes for a second and let out a long breath and then opened them again and sat straighter at his chair.  
“Come in”, he said.

A second later Meg opened the door, standing right there, without getting inside.  
“Excuse me, sir… I know that you just got back from the meeting, but you have a visitor. It is Mr. Roman… he’s waiting right outside and he wants to see you… Is it okay to tell him to come inside? Or are you busy?” Meg asked.

“Mr. Roman? Seriously?” said Michael.  
“I can’t catch a break”, he whispered to himself.

“So… should I tell him to come inside?” she asked again.

“Yeah… sure… Bring him in”, said Michael and Meg couldn’t help but notice that there was a sarcastic tone in his voice.

“Okay then…” she said and then turned to face her office.  
“Mr. Roman… Mr. Novak will see you now... You can come inside”, she said and stepped at the side. Two seconds later, Richard Roman was walking through the door.

“Would you like me to bring you a coffee or a glass of water?” asked Meg.

“A glass of water would be much appreciated. I feel like my throat has dried up. It is rather hot outside…”

“Coming right up”, said Meg and then excused herself.

Once she was gone, Richard Roman turned to face Michael.  
“Michael…” he said extending his hand.  
“It is really good to see you again.”

Michael just looked at the offered hand and after a moment of contemplating about it, offered his hand in return and they exchanged a handshake.  
“Mr. Roman… What can I do for you? If you’re here to talk business, I’m afraid I’m a little fried at the moment… Perhaps we could arrange dinner some time and call Mr. McLeod as well…” said Michael. He couldn’t wait to get rid of the man.

Richard Roman just smirked at Michael’s reaction and sat down comfortably at one of the chairs that were opposite Michael’s desk.  
“Oh, please… call me Dick… Mr. Roman sounds very official”, said ‘Dick’, while loosening his tie, after dropping a big folder on Michael’s desk. Leaving it there, ‘randomly’. 

“Well, I like being official with the people I don’t know and the people I work with… but if you insist…” said Michael and eyed the folder suspiciously.

“Of course… I insist…” said Dick and then they both heard a knock on the door.

“Come in”, said Michael.

Meg walked in the room and left a glass of water on Michael’s desk, in front of Dick.  
“Oh, thank you, dear…” said Dick.

“Do you need anything else?” she asked.

“No, Meg… you can go. We’ll call you, if we need anything”, Michael hurried to say. Meg just looked at him confused, but then left the room.

“So?” Michael said.  
“You still haven’t told me of the reason of your visit.”

“Oh, yes… that’s true… But before I do, Michael… let me ask you… How is the lovely Dean? Did he have a good time last night?” said Dick and smirked.

Michael just looked at him coldly.  
“It’s Mr. Novak to you. I don’t remember telling you that you can call me Michael. Unlike you, I like to keep things on a professional and official level. Only my family and the people near me call me Michael. As for Dean, it’s Mr. Novak also… And to be honest, I don’t see where he fits in this conversation. Whether he had fun or not is none of your business.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, ‘Mr. Novak’. I didn’t mean to offend you. No reason to get angry. I was simply trying to be polite and make conversation”, said Dick in a false apologetic tone.

“Well, I’m a little tired and in a hurry, so… if you could get to the point, I’d really appreciate it. No need for small talk. Time is money, ‘Dick’. I’m sure you know that. You’re a businessman yourself.”

“You know what? You’re right. It is all about money, isn’t it? But I guess sometimes money isn’t as important as other things… For example, you didn’t think twice about spending thousands of dollars to ensure you’d get your lovely spouse, Dean… Sorry, I meant ‘Mr. Novak’, but he was going by a different name then… ‘Winchester’, if I’m not mistaken. It wasn’t so much of a love story as it was a business transaction. Some people could say that you bought him off, but those people are very few… Everyone else know what they read in the papers… About your epic love story and things like that… Did you pay them, as well… to write all that? Too bad your brother had to go and ruin all the magic of your love story… and at your wedding day, nonetheless…” said Dick and an evil smile spread on his face.

“What do you want?” asked Michael coldly.  
“Is there a reason why you’re telling me all that?”

“Well, kinda… Did you know that I was one of your mate’s suitors? That you paid me to back off?” asked Dick expectantly.

“Yes… I know it… So? What do you want now? I honestly don’t understand what you’re trying to achieve by telling me all this… It can’t possibly be because you want more money… I’m married to him now… There’s nothing you can do”, said Michael in a harsh voice.

“Well, there are always other reasons to get money from you… Or maybe it’s not your money that I want… I mean you won this fight fair and square, but… I’m afraid it was for nothing, if you can’t control your omega…”

“What’s that supposed to mean? What do you want from me?” asked Michael, obviously angry.

“Did you know that the relationship between your brother and the omega has evolved? I think you’ll find the content of that folder very enlightening. They’re pictures… from last night. They show your omega entering your brother’s hotel room and then leaving a few minutes later all fucked up… My people told me that they heard a lot of moaning going on… Your brother and the omega definitely had sex last night… You’d think that an omega would be more loyal and obedient to his master and the person who bought him… You should teach him some manners… A dog needs to know where his place is… He needs to know who the pet is and who the master is”, said Dick and smirked once again.

Michael just took the folder and looked at it for a moment, without opening it. Dick was trying desperately to read the expression on the other man’s face, until Michael pushed his chair backwards and then threw the folder in the garbage bin under his desk. When he looked back up at Dick, he had a cold expression on his face.  
“Is there something else you want to tell me?” he asked.

“So… you knew… You don’t seem at all surprised. Doesn’t it bother you that your spouse is whoring around with your own brother?”

“Dick, please enlighten me as in why you suddenly display such an interest in my love life… Making people follow my spouse, taking pictures of him… I thought you said it yourself… I paid you to back off… Is there a reason behind the fact that you care so much now?” Michael asked in a harsh voice.

“Well, I guess meeting Dean face to face made me interested again. He’s a lovely specimen that omega. I believe I made a huge mistake backing off of claiming him… But since you seem to be so okay with sharing him with your brother… that brings me to a business offer I have for you… It has nothing to do with our companies… I’m very pleased with the ones I’m cooperating with now, so there won’t be any need for Mr. McLeod to attend this discussion… No, my business offer is of a different kind… I’d like to pay you to have Dean once a week in my disposal, to fuck and to enjoy as I please, for a day… You can have him for the rest of the week and keep pretending that you have the perfect marriage, I don’t care… I will be very generous with the money I’ll give you… Like I said, it is all about the money, isn’t it? Dean was a bad business deal for you, since he wasn’t really the obedient and faithful dog you paid for… So this is me, offering a way to make profit out of a bad deal… What do you say?” said Dick with an expectant expression on his face. He really thought that Michael would accept his offer.

Michael just stared at him this whole time, without uttering a word. His eyes cold as ice. 

“Are you done?” Michael asked then.

“Yes, I believe I am… Unless you want to talk specifics about the money I’m willing to give you…” said Dick, while an evil smile spread on his face.

“Excuse me for a moment…” said Michael and picked up the phone on his desk and then pressed a button.  
“Meg? Do me a favor and call security. Tell them to come to my office in five minutes exactly…” he said and then placed the phone gently back to its place.

Dick stared at him with wide eyes as Michael stood up from his seat and then hastily removed his tie and his suit jacket, placing them on his chair, and pulled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows.

“Let me tell you what I think of this business offer you made me… I don’t think I’m going to accept it, because you see… Dean isn’t my prostitute and I’m not his pimp to get money from dicks like you, who choose themselves to be called ‘Dicks’, so that they can have their way with him. Dean is my husband and I love him and I sure as hell ain’t sharing him with my brother… I don’t know what you saw and heard or what you think you saw and heard, but my husband never cheated on me with my brother… and a few photoshopped pictures won’t prove a thing… So, you’d better not make anything stupid and try to publish them, because the only thing you’ll achieve is getting your ass kicked so hard that you will be looking for it for days…” said Michael and started walking around his desk, until he was standing in front of Dick, who was now up from his chair, staring at him with fear.

“I know you’re a powerful man, Mr. Roman, but I don’t think you realize how powerful I am… I’m in a much higher position than yours and it would do well for you to remember it. If I want it, I can make you disappear from the face of the earth… If you so much as go anywhere near Dean, just be at the same block as him… I will kill you… Dean isn’t my dog and I’m not his master, so you’ll better take your advice and shove it up your ass. Go and be the dog to someone that will have you… Although, I doubt anyone ever would… You’re pathetic…” continued Michael and grabbed him from the collar of his shirt. Dick was too shocked to move or say anything.

“You know, threatening Dean wasn’t such a smart move on your part… What? You thought he wouldn’t tell me? Why wouldn’t he? He didn’t do anything… He had nothing to hide…” said Michael and pulled him closer to his face by the collar of his shirt.  
“Did you, fucker, try and contact him again, today? Did you?” he asked, the venom dripping from his tongue. 

“No, I didn’t”, said Dick shaking his head negatively in a frantic way.  
“I… I had told him to call me, until an hour ago… He didn’t, so I came here… Like I had warned him I would”, said Dick, causing Michael to laugh in his face.

“And what? You thought that you would buy him from me? How could you ever think that an alpha who paid so much to obtain him would ever be willing to share him with a piece of shit like yourself or anyone else for that matter? You made a huge mistake coming here, Mr. Roman, ‘cause you see, I’m very possessive of my mate and I’m not letting anyone touch so much as a hair from his head. So, be a good boy, like the dog you are and try to behave, before I put you six feet under… Do I make myself clear?” said Michael.

“Yes… very clear… I understand… I won’t do anything to him… Please, just let me go…” said Dick in a terrified voice and moved his hands on Michael’s to remove them from his shirt. Michael pulled his right arm then and landed a strong punch on Dick’s face, before letting him go. Dick fell to the ground with tears in his eyes, while holding his bloody nose in his hands. Michael walked back behind his desk, without caring and took hold of his tie again and started wearing it, when two guys from the company’s security came inside and started looking confused around the room.

“Please, escort this man out of the company and from now on, make sure that he doesn’t take a step inside the building ever again. Am I clear?” said Michael, while fixing the sleeves of his shirt, after his tie was in place.

“Yes, sir”, they both said in unison and grabbed Dick by his arms and dragged him out of Michael’s office.

After putting his suit jacket back on, Michael sat back on his chair and muttered, “What a dick!”


	24. Bon Voyage!

After that awful encounter with Dick, Michael didn’t have any other unexpected problems and he went on with his day as usual, working. With everything that had been happening these past few days, work had piled up and he really needed to focus on that. 

That’s the reason that at almost nine o’clock in the evening, he was still at his office, making phone calls and other arrangements –always work related- when his cell phone rang.

“…Yes… of course, I will… yes… I will call you tomorrow with the details… yes… I’m afraid I have to go now, because my cell phone is ringing… yes… Thank you, sir… Goodnight to you too…” said Michael and hang up his office phone. When he reached for his cell phone, he saw Dean’s name on the screen.

“Dean…” Michael said, while smiling, when he picked it up.

“Hey… baby… I… I’m just calling, ‘cause I was wondering, when you’re gonna come home… Are you still at the office?” said Dean in a hesitant voice.

“Uhm… yeah… but I’ll leave soon… I’ll be there in forty minutes tops… Is everything okay? You sound a little weird. Did someone do something to you?” Michael asked, the concern obvious in his voice.

“Uh… no, no! Nothing like that… I just… Uhm… my father and my brother are here… They came during the afternoon and surprised me… They’re moving in New York and they came to see me…”

“Oh… really? Uh… okay, but…”

“Before you say anything, they’re renting a place in Brooklyn. They won’t be staying at our house… They just came to visit”, Dean interrupted him.

“No, I wasn’t gonna say that… I just thought that your father didn’t have enough money to move to New York on his own… What changed?” asked Michael, puzzled.

“Uhm… uncle Bobby helped him… he lent him some money to come here, because he didn’t want to leave me alone…”

“Is that how you feel? Alone? Don’t I count for anything?” asked Michael, hurt.

“No… that’s not what I meant… But they’re my family. Dad didn’t want me to live away from Sammy… Sammy needs me too… And besides… it’s good to have someone to talk to, when you’re at work…”

“Yeah… I guess you’re right…”

“So… I… I was hoping that we could all have dinner together, before they head back to Brooklyn… You’ll be here soon, right? You’ll make it?” asked Dean.

“Uh… yeah… I’ll be there… Uhm… Dean… tell them that they can stay at our place for the night. There’s no reason for them to go back to Brooklyn so late… I’ll try and be there as soon as possible, okay?”

“Yeah… okay... See you soon… be safe…” said Dean, the delight apparent in his voice.

“See you soon, baby…” said Michael and smiled.

…Α-Ω…

Back at the house, Dean couldn’t hide the big smile that spread on his face, when Michael said that he was okay with his father and brother being there and that they could also stay for the night.

“So… is everything okay?” asked his father from where he was sitting on the couch, next to Sam.

“Uh… yeah… yeah! Everything is great! He’ll be here soon. He said that you could spend the night here. It’s already getting late. I don’t want you and Sammy to be on the road at this hour… Besides… I’ve missed you… I don’t want you to go right after dinner…” said Dean.

“We’ve missed you too, son… We’d be happy to stay”, said John and smiled at him.

...Α-Ω...

It was twenty minutes later that they heard the doorbell ring.  
“Oh, that must be him… he must have forgotten his keys or something… I guess he wasn’t kidding when he said he would be here as soon as he could”, said Dean and headed for the door.  
“It’s okay, Hannah! I’ll get the door… You can start serving the food…”

“Yes, sir”, answered Hannah and headed for the dining room.

Dean reached the door then and opened it with a smile, only for it to freeze on his face and then turn into a thin line, with no hints of a smile whatsoever.

“Cas? What are you doing here?” Dean asked, obviously shocked.

“I’m sorry that I came here unannounced, but I needed to see you for just a few minutes… Is Michael here?” asked Cas.

“No, but he’ll be here soon… He’s on his way… he’ll be here in the next twenty minutes… probably in less time than that. What do you want?” asked Dean.

“Can I come inside? I promise I’ll make it quick…” said Cas.

“Uhm… yeah… come in… Let’s just go to the library, though… My dad and Sammy are in the living room.”

“Yeah… okay…” said Cas and followed Dean to the library, without being seen by anyone.

Once the door was firmly closed behind them, Dean turned to look at him.  
“So? What do you want? I thought that I was clear with you earlier… I don’t want this, Cas… I don’t know what else to tell you to make you understand it…” said Dean.

“No, that’s… it’s not why I’m here… I do… I understand, I mean… I’ve come to grips with what you told me… With the way you said you feel… and I have to admit that I was wrong myself…”

“What do you mean? What were you wrong about?” asked Dean, confused.

“I was wrong about what I thought we were to each other… I… I honestly thought that we were true mates, because I… I had never felt like that for anyone else and I thought that it was how true mates were supposed to feel for one another… But it’s not the case with us… You obviously love Michael and I… I guess I was overreacting about the way I felt about you… I can see it for what it is, now… You were just an infatuation for me… I got carried away by the fact that you were an omega… You need to understand that you were the first I ever met and it was kind of thrilling for me to be with you… I just needed a few hits on the head to realize that… I’m sorry for all this craziness and especially for that ridiculous phone call earlier today… I need you to forget all about it… please…”

“An infatuation? Are you sure about that? ‘Cause it sounded like a lot more to me, when we spoke earlier… and I know you asked me to forget about that phone call, but, Cas, that was only a few hours ago…”

“I know… I just got into a fight with Michael and I was pissed… and then I got drunk and I wasn’t really in my right mind… I’ve been miserable lately with everything that happened with my wife and I…”

“So that’s what was making you miserable? The separation from your wife? You didn’t seem to be miserable yesterday, when you were trying to get in my pants… and then succeeded… You didn’t seem to care one bit that you were cheating on her… Is it because you fucked me? Is that how this ‘infatuation’ ended for you?” said Dean, getting angrier by the second.

“No… it’s not… Look, Dean… we both know that last night was a mistake… You said it earlier... I’m mature enough to admit it now… After you hang up the phone today… I… I started thinking really hard… and I realized that I was wrong… I was wrong since the very beginning… You are attractive and you are… you know… I’m only an alpha… it was hard for me to resist… but now my head is clear once again and I can move forward…”

“Bullshit… I can see right through you, you know… you’re lying to me to make me feel better about being so hard on you and leaving you… Those feelings you said you had for me… it’s not possible that they just went away from one moment to the next…”

“Just hear me out… I’m not saying that I’m not attracted to you, still… but… everyone else was right. I’ve only known you for a week and… It’s just not possible to love so much someone that you know so little… You and Michael have spent a lot more time together than we did, during that week, and it is understandable that you may have developed feelings for him, especially since you’re bonded now… you’re mates… The bond between an alpha and an omega strengthens a lot after the bite… and I understand that now…”

“Sure… if you want to go with that story… It’s fine by me… So… why are you here then? Just to apologize for the phone call, in which you said that we were going to grow old together and be surrounded by our kids and grandkids?” Dean asked him, pissed. He wasn’t buying the story Cas was trying to sell him.

“You don’t need to be so full of irony… I apologize for that phone call, but, unfortunately, I can’t turn back time to stop myself from making it… Now, you asked why I came here… well, the reason I came here is to tell you that I’m moving to Washington for a while… I’ll go live with my mother…”

“What? You’re leaving? Just like that? And what about your job at the company? And your mother? I didn’t even know your mother was alive… no one ever spoke to me about her… and now you’ll just go to live with her? Why wasn’t she at the wedding? How come I don’t know anything about her?”

“When it comes to our mother… I think that it’s better for you to ask Michael about her… I don’t have the time to explain this to you… But, when it comes to my job… You don’t need to worry about it, because after today’s fight with Michael, I quit my position at the company and soon I’ll transfer my shares to Gabriel… I don’t want to have to do anything with the board. I just need some time on my own… to sort things out… And I need to be away from you… I don’t want to cause you any more trouble… I’ve done enough already… Not that I would do anything, but I don’t want Michael to be always suspicious of you… Leaving is the best way I can think of, for things to go back to normal… Time always heals… and it’s exactly what we all need…” said Cas.

“So, that’s it then, huh?” asked Dean with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Yeah, I guess this is it…” 

“So… can I at least hug you goodbye?” asked Dean.

“Yes, I’d really like that…” said Cas and went close to Dean.

Dean just fell in his arms and wrapped his own tight around Cas.  
“I’ll miss you… Be safe, okay? And promise that you’ll come back one day… that you won’t stay in Washington forever?” said Dean next to Castiel’s ear.

“I’ll miss you too… and I… I promise… Take care of yourself, Dean… Goodbye”, Cas said and got out of Dean’s grip, giving him one last look and then got out of the room.

Dean could feel his eyes filling up with tears, but he knew that he had to compose himself… His father and brother were outside and soon Michael would be home.

Perhaps, Cas was right… perhaps, they needed some time apart… Dean had to believe that this was for the best. Like Cas said, there’s nothing time can’t heal.


	25. The Truth Is Never Simple

Michael came home only five minutes after Cas had left. Dean was back in the living room with John and Sam and so Michael never suspected that his brother had been there.

When he got into the room, he walked straight up to Dean and pulled him in a hug and then kissed him tenderly on his lips.  
“Hey, baby… how was your day?” Michael asked and gave him another brief kiss, only for John to make a loud coughing sound from somewhere in the background.

Dean just smiled at his father’s uneasiness and then looked up at Michael and spoke.  
“It was good… I missed dad and Sammy and I was overwhelmed by their surprise”, said Dean.

“Mr. Winchester, I apologize for my behavior, but I had a long day at work and I had missed your son terribly… How are you? Did you have a good flight?” asked Michael and went to greet John and Sam properly.

“Yes, it was good, since Dean wasn’t in it to break my arm from gripping it too tight…” said John and laughed, while he shook Michael’s hand.

Michael also laughed in return.  
“Tell me about it, I was sweating like a pig during our flight from California, because Dean was glued to my side like an octopus…” said Michael and they all laughed again, with the exception of Dean.

“Thanks a lot, dad…” said Dean, pouting, causing them to laugh again.

“Sam? How are you? I swear it’s only been a few days, but somehow you seem taller to me… I have a feeling that you’re going to be much taller than your brother…” said Michael, when he turned to Sam to greet him too.

“You got that right… Dean is a shorty… Of course I’ll be a lot taller than he is…” answered Sam and then smirked at Dean. It was always his favorite thing to make fun of his older brother, but only because he loved him too much.

“Making jokes, Sammy? Are we? Watch your mouth, dwarf… I’m not short and you can keep dreaming about getting taller than me”, said Dean.

“Whatever, jerk… I guess we’ll just have to see about that…” Sam replied.

“Bitch…”

“Okay… okay, boys… As fun as this is, you don’t want to do this in front of Michael… He has been working all day and he doesn’t need this… Besides the maid came, when you weren’t here, Dean and told us that the table is ready and that we should take a seat…” said John. 

“Oh, I don’t mind… I like this side of Dean… It’s cute, but the truth is that I am starving, so we should better move this to the dining room”, said Michael and they all followed him there.

After a few minutes of silence, while they were all eating, John spoke again.

“Dean, you never told us who was at the door earlier…” he said and Dean went rigid on his seat.

“What?” Dean asked innocently.

“Did someone came to visit?” Michael asked curiously.

“Uhm… no… I mean, yes… It was just the courier… Jo sent me some stuff…” said Dean, constantly looking at his plate and then he started eating again.

“The courier? At this hour? You, New Yorkers, are crazy…” said John and went on to eating his food.

Michael just gave Dean a disbelieving glance, but said nothing and so did Sam. Sammy could see it from miles away, when his brother was lying.

“So, Mr. Winchester… you have arranged for a place to work as well? You’re a mechanic, if I’m not mistaken…” said Michael.

“Uhm… yes… I have, actually. I wouldn’t have come, if I hadn’t found a job. My good friend, Bobby, who is also a mechanic, had a few connections here and he made a few calls… and so, I found a job. The payment is even better than my last… so… we’re good.”

“Oh, I’m glad… Do I know this Bobby that you speak of? Was he at the wedding?” asked Michael.

“Uhm… no, he couldn’t make it, because he has some trouble with his back and he doesn’t move around much, but he’s really close to our family and we love him dearly. Both my sons call him uncle, actually.”

“Oh, yes… I think I’ve heard Dean calling him that…” said Michael and went back to his food.

The rest of the evening went by with small talk here and there coming mostly from John and Michael. After the outright lie Dean told them, he didn’t utter another word and just kept staring at his food, but when the dinner was over and then so was the desert and the whiskey Michael and John had, it was time for everyone to go to bed and Dean knew that he couldn’t avoid Michael for much longer. He was just hoping that Michael would be too tired to want to start a conversation. He did seem exhausted, anyway.

So, Dean decided to show his family their bedrooms himself, instead of the maid, just to buy some more time away from Michael and Michael was left alone in the living room, still drinking from his glass of whiskey, when a thought crossed his mind.

“Hannah? Could you come over here, please?” he said.

“Is there something I can do for you, sir?” she asked.

“Earlier… before I came home, someone rang the doorbell… Did you open the door? Did you see who it was?” he asked.

Hannah just looked at him, without answering.  
“I asked you a question, Hannah…” Michael said again.

“Well, I wasn’t the one who opened the door… but your husband, Dean… I went back to the dining room to prepare the table, so I didn’t see who it was… who came inside”, she said, not looking Michael in the eye, and staring at her feet again.

“So… someone did come inside?” Michael asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hannah looked up with wide eyes, realizing the mistake she had made.

“Who was it Hannah? You saw whoever it was when he left, didn’t you? Why aren’t you telling me? If you want to keep working for me, you’d better open your mouth right now”, said Michael, leaving his glass on the coffee table and getting up from the armchair he had been sitting on.  
“Tell me right now…” 

“It was your brother, sir…, Castiel…” she answered, trembling a little.

“Cas was here? For how long? Where did he and Dean go?”

“He wasn’t here for long… I guess it was about ten minutes or so, since the doorbell rang. I saw him coming out of the library and I hid… he didn’t see that I saw him…” she said.

“You can go back to your work now”, Michael said then and went back to drinking his whiskey, after sitting again in his armchair.

“Thank you, sir… Excuse me…” said Hannah and left.

…Α-Ω… 

When Michael came to the bedroom he shared with Dean, half an hour later, the omega was already lying under the covers and from the even rise and fall of his naked chest, Michael could see that he was sleeping.

Carefully Michael removed his clothing and after a quick visit to the bathroom fairy, he came back to the room, dropped his underwear by the bed and got under the covers himself. Hastily, he moved so that he was spooning Dean from behind, while the omega was sleeping on his side. When he was happy with his position, he started kissing Dean’s neck and the exposed skin of his shoulder blades, while he used his left hand to caress the sensitive skin of Dean’s lower belly.

After a few seconds of that, Dean started waking up.  
“Mmm… what… baby… what are you doing? I was sleeping…” said Dean in a low sleepy voice.

“I’m too horny to wait for tomorrow…” said Michael and kept giving open mouthed kisses everywhere he could reach, giving small bites here and there, while grinding his front up against Dean’s ass

“Baby, my brother and father are here… they’ll hear us… can’t you wait, just for one night?” said Dean, obviously more awake now.

“No… I want you…” said Michael, getting more handsy by the second.

Dean just turned around in his arms to look at him.  
“Hey… are you drunk?” he asked smelling all the booze in Michael’s breath.

“Yeah… I’m drunk and horny… so… come on, already… open these beautiful bowlegs of yours wide for me to get between them and fuck that pretty little hole…” said Michael and when Dean opened his mouth to say something, he shoved his tongue down the omega’s throat.  
“Mmm… love you, baby… mmm… so beautiful…” said Michael, while licking into Dean’s mouth.

“Michael…” said Dean, drawing back for air.

“Sshhh… don’t make too much noise, Dean… your father will hear us…” said Michael and laughed as he pushed his hand under Dean’s pajama bottoms and underwear getting hold of his dick.  
“There it is…” he said, when he started bringing Dean’s dick to attention after a few strokes, making the omega moan and causing slick to drip out of his hole and inside his underwear.  
“Let’s get this started, baby… Let’s take these pants and underwear off…” said Michael and pulled down Dean’s pajama bottoms along with his briefs in one swift move, leaving him completely naked.

Once he threw the clothing on the floor next to the bed, Michael got on top of Dean and between his legs and started kissing him again passionately and after a few minutes of making out, he positioned himself and then pushed right in Dean’s wet heat.

“Oh… God…” Michael said, while moaning, when he bottomed out. 

“Oh… mmm… yeah…” Dean started moaning in return, when Michael started to move.

“Shhh… you’ll wake up your father…” said Michael and laughed, but kept pushing in and out of Dean.

“Michael… right there, baby… Yeah… oh, god… yes… mmm… yeah…” Dean kept mumbling, when Michael finally found his sweet spot and started hitting it dead on.  
“Oh… oh… I can’t… I can’t… I’m coming… oh Goooood…” said Dean, while riding his orgasm, spilling his sperm between his and Michael’s stomachs.

“I’m coming too, baby… I’m coming… oh… yes…” said Michael in a loud voice and then spilt his seed inside Dean and then started to swell and got locked inside of him and fell on Dean, exhausted.

“Michael?” said Dean, after a few moments, when he got his breath back.  
“Baby? You’re crushing me… I can’t breathe… we need to change positions”, Dean said and started poking him, but all he got from Michael was a snore.  
“Are you kidding me? You fell asleep? Great… you messed up my sleep and now you’re sleeping like a baby… Awesome… What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

“Mmm…” Michael murmured and got more comfortable on Dean.

“Oh… god… This is going to be a long night…” Dean murmured and gave up trying to get Michael off of him and started absently stroking the alpha’s back. There was no way in hell that he could sleep now and so he found his mind drifting off to Cas.

…Α-Ω…

When morning came Dean’s eyes were still wide open and he was staring at the ceiling. Michael was still on top of him and he hadn’t moved an inch since he fell asleep the previous night, meaning, he was still buried inside of Dean.

At some point the alpha started waking up and the first thing he noticed was Dean’s heartbeat under his chest as well as the omega’s slow breathing next to his ear. Slowly, he turned his head from where it was next to Dean’s, above the omega’s shoulder and looked at Dean, who looked right back.

“Good morning…” muttered Dean.

“’Morning…” said Michael and tried to get off of Dean, but fell right back on him. He was still exhausted and his head was pounding like crazy after all the whiskey he had had the previous night.  
“What time is it?” he murmured then in Dean’s neck.

“I imagine around 7.30…” Dean said. Dean was sore all over and he really needed Michael’s dick out of his ass and Michael himself off of him.

“What happened? Why are we sleeping like this?” Michael murmured again with difficulty.

“You fell asleep, while we were having sex, right when you finished and you haven’t moved since… Could you… Could you get off, please? I’m sore as hell. I need to stretch a little”, said Dean and then Michael tried to move, only to find that he was still locked inside of Dean.

“Crap…” he said.

“What’s the matter?” Dean asked.

“I can’t get it out… We’re stuck… My knot must have swollen again… I guess I spilt another load inside you. Morning wood can do that to you…”

“Fuck, I can’t feel anything from the neck down… I didn’t realize it… I couldn’t move you last night. You were too heavy…”

“Are you calling me fat, Dean?” asked Michael looking at him and raising a brow.

“What? No, of course not, but please… if you can’t get out, could you at least change our positions… I’m in pain”, said Dean.

“Of course, baby… I’m so sorry…” said Michael and maneuvered them, so that Dean was now lying on top of him.

“Oh god… please, don’t fall asleep like that ever again… It was torture… I couldn’t even breathe at first…” said Dean, after a while, when most of his senses had returned to his body.

“I’m sorry, Dean… I didn’t mean to… It’s just that I was tired and I drank a little too much… I’m so sorry…” Michael said and started stroking Dean’s back.

“Why were you drinking, anyway?”

“I… I don’t know… I guess a lot happened at the office yesterday and I needed to relax…”

“Like what? Work related or something else?” Dean asked, knowing too well of his and Cas’ fight.

“Well, both I guess…”

“Wanna be more specific?” Dean said.

“I had a fight with Cas yesterday and he quit permanently this time…”

“You yelled at him for sleeping with me?” Dean asked and buried his face in embarrassment in Michael’s neck.

“I wasn’t gonna say anything to him… I had decided that it wasn’t worth it, since you and I had made up… I was simply going to ignore him… I asked him something about work and he talked back to me and I got a little pissed and then I talked back to him and out of nowhere he said in front of the whole god damn board that you and him had slept together the night before… After that I saw red and we had a big fight…”

“In front of the whole board?” Dean asked in shock.

“Don’t worry… There wasn’t anyone stranger… Just my brothers and uncle Zachariah…”

“Well, now I’m relieved… Like your brothers don’t hate me enough already. Gabriel, because of his wife and the other one, because he’s a douche…”

“They don’t hate you, Dean… Don’t say that…”

“If they didn’t hate me already, now, they will… I’ve come between two brothers and I cheated on you…”

“Dean, please, don’t… We’ve talked about this… I don’t like remembering it, okay? So, just don’t… I’m still hurt because of it, but I need to move forward…”

“Sorry… So… it was because of your fight with Cas that you were drinking?” Dean asked hesitantly.

“Well, I have to admit that I had a very busy day, dealing with assholes…” said Michael.

“What do you mean? What happened?” asked Dean, when he turned to look at him with a worried expression on his face.

Michael touched Dean’s cheek then with his left hand and started stroking it to ease the tension on Dean’s face.

“Uhm… Dick came to see me…” he said, looking at Dean’s eyes.

Dean just went rigid on top of him and all color was drained from his face.  
“What? Are you serious?” he asked in a panicked voice.

“It’s okay, Dean… don’t worry about it… I took care of him. He won’t be bothering us ever again…”

“Yes, but… what did you do? What did he tell you?” 

“He brought me the pictures he was blackmailing you with and he told me the same bullshit he was telling you… nothing new… There’s no need to upset you more by giving you details… He’s screwed with us enough as it is… There is no reason to keep talking about him”, said Michael and kissed him on the lips.

“Did you… did you see the pictures?” Dean asked after a moment.

Michael just stared at him and then spoke.  
“No, I threw them away… So, please… just stop worrying about this”, he said and kissed him again.  
“So… what did you do yesterday? We didn’t have a chance to talk… And where is the box that your friend sent you? What was in it?” Michael asked, feigning ignorance and waiting for Dean’s response.

“I… I… uh… what?” Dean asked, not looking at Michael.

“What did your friend send you that it required a courier to bring it after nine in the evening… I didn’t know couriers delivered packages so late at night…”

“Michael… please, don’t get mad at me, but… I lied to you yesterday…” said Dean, turning to look at the alpha.

“Did you? About what?”

“I think we both know that there was no courier… I don’t even know how I came up with that shit…”

“So, who was it, then? And why did you feel the need to lie to me about it?”

“It was Cas… He came to apologize and say goodbye…”

“Goodbye? Why? Is he going somewhere?”

“He said that he was going to Washington… to live with your mother”, Dean said hesitantly.

In just a moment, Michael’s eyes became wide and he was mirroring Dean’s expression from before, when he told him about Dick.  
“What? He’s going to live with HER? Are you kidding me? Cas just keeps making me want to strangle him… He can’t go to her… If dad finds out…” said Michael, panicking.

“What is so bad about him wanting to live with your mother and how come I’ve never heard of her?” asked Dean.

“Did he tell you, when he was leaving? I need to stop this, he can’t go there…” said Michael and with a swift motion he maneuvered their bodies in a sitting position. 

“No, he didn’t, but it seemed that he was ready to leave…”

“Oh god… I can’t… we’re still stuck… I can’t believe this...” said Michael, panicking, when he tried to pull out of Dean and failed.

“What is going on? Why are you acting like this? Baby… just talk to me…”

Michael just buried his face in Dean’s neck and took a few calming breaths, before speaking.

“Dean… this woman is the devil… Because of her Lucifer got involved with drugs and there were a lot of other things going on that I can’t talk about right now… I need to call him… He can’t go there…”

“But why? I mean… what you said sounds very serious, but she’s still his mother, Michael… how awful could it be? Cas doesn’t really strike me for the type to do drugs…”

“You don’t understand, Dean… and besides… Abby is not even his real mother…” said Michael, without meaning to say it. 

“What? What do you mean? Cas said that she was… She’s not yours either? Or did your father remarry?”

“I… no, Dean… I haven’t told you this, but… Cas… he’s adopted… He’s not my actual brother… He uh… his mother died in a car accident, when he was just a baby, six months old and his father was in prison at the time… My father decided to adopt him… His mother was a friend of his… Cas doesn’t know any of this… He doesn’t know he’s adopted and neither do Gabriel and Lucifer. They know nothing about this… My father told me, when he sent our mother away… after the incident with Lucifer.”

“Oh my god… are you serious? He’s adopted?” Dean asked, completely shocked.

“Yes, I’m afraid I am…”

“And you know who his father is?”

“Yes… and so does she… The drugs she had in the house weren’t for her own use, Dean… She was selling… and… Cas’ dad got her into this… they knew each other… He is a drug dealer and a murderer... He has been on the run from the police, after breaking out of prison ten years ago… and I’m afraid that he and my mother, Abaddon, are still in contact... I'm afraid that if Cas goes there, she’s gonna bring them together… Cas can’t find out like this… he can’t… He can never learn that that dick is his father…”

“What… what is his father’s name?” asked Dean, feeling numb all over. He had a terrible feeling about this.

Michael just stared at him and hesitated to answer.  
“Collins… He’s name is Azazel Collins…”

Dean stared at him with wide eyes and then went limp in his arms, losing all consciousness. No, this couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be… Cas’ real father was the one who had murdered his mom. It had to be a mistake… It had to…


	26. Meet the Mothers!

When Dean woke up again, he was lying on the bed under the covers. He couldn’t remember what was going on, but then, a second later, all the memories came rushing back. Before he had a chance to panic again, however, Michael came from the bathroom and when he saw that Dean was awake and about to panic, he ran to his side.

“Hey… hey… it’s okay, baby… I’m here, you’re okay…” Michael said and wrapped his arms around Dean.

“Michael… I can’t… how… how is this possible? Did you know that Cas’ dad was the one who killed my mother and you never said anything?” Dean asked, tears filling his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Dean… but you have to understand that I couldn’t… this family secret was never supposed to be revealed… I never thought that Cas would go to her… It was the events that made me speak up… No one was supposed to find out that Cas is adopted and especially he… I’m so sorry… I just… I didn’t want to upset you… I… I only found out about your mother in a conversation me and my father had after the wedding, before we left to come here… Your father had told mine the name of your mother’s murderer and dad asked me to be careful and never say anything to you about Cas and Azazel… You weren’t supposed to find out… I shouldn’t have said anything… Please, forgive me”, said Michael and looked at Dean with pleading eyes.

“But… how? I mean… Why? I…”

“I know, baby… I know…” said Michael and held Dean tighter against his chest. 

That’s when Dean noticed Michael’s suitcase near the bed.  
“Where are you going?” Dean asked in a panicked voice.

“I’m going to Washington… Cas is already there… I didn’t make it in time to stop him… I must go and bring him back… take him away from her, before she tells him anything… Cas wasn’t answering my phone calls, but I talked to Gabriel and he told me that Cas spoke to him and told him that he had landed. He’s there now… I can’t waste any more time… I have to leave now…”

“If you’re going, I’m coming with… There’s no way in hell, you’re doing this alone… Besides, Cas wouldn’t listen to you… He wouldn’t want to come back with you, but he would listen to me… I know he would… And this thing has everything to do with me, now… I can’t sit around, while I know all this… I need to question your mother… I need to find out whether she knows where that dick is hiding or not… this could be our chance to help the police get to him, before he kills another innocent…”

“I don’t know… I don’t want you to go through this… I never wanted you to meet her… She’s a dark page in my life… I never wanted to expose you to her…”

“Baby, you have to… Didn’t you hear what I said? This could be our only shot to get him arrested… While he’s out there, Cas is in danger… He could get to him at any time… If you want to protect your brother, we need to do this…” said Dean.

“Okay, then… Pack your things and come downstairs to say goodbye to your family… they’re still here. They were waiting for you to wake up, to leave… Dean, you can’t tell them anything about this. I’ll tell them that I’m going on an urgent business trip in Washington and that I’m taking you with me… Can you do that for me, baby? Can you keep this a secret?” Michael asked and cupped Dean’s cheek with his hand.

“Yes, I won’t say anything… I promise…” said Dean.

“Okay, then… If you’re feeling okay… you can start getting ready… We need to leave as soon as possible”, said Michael and kissed him tenderly on the lips.

“Okay… I’ll be down in ten minutes…” Dean said and kissed Michael again.

…Α-Ω…

It was two hours later and after Dean and Michael said their goodbyes to John and Sam and told them that they’d be back soon, they were on Michael’s private jet, heading to Washington.

“Are you nervous?” asked Dean, noticing that Michael was moving his hand nervously on the arm of his seat.

“I… It’s been a long time since I last saw her and… I’m also worried about Cas… I’m afraid of getting there too late”, admitted Michael.

“It’s okay… don’t worry… We’ll get there on time…” said Dean and squeezed Michael’s hand reassuringly.

“Are 'you' okay? How is the flight treating you? Aren’t you at all nervous of what you might find out?” Michael asked, taking one of Dean’s hands in his own.

“I never thought I would say this, but the flight is the least of my worries right now… I feel safe beside you… And yes, of course I’m nervous of what I might find out… This could be it… this might actually be the way to end my family’s nightmares. To help dad sleep without being so worried all the time… You know, when he came yesterday, he told me that he couldn’t stay away from me, because even though he trusts that you can protect me, he didn’t want to leave me, like he left mom alone that day…” said Dean.

“You never told me… What happened to your mother? I don’t understand, why would Azazel target her? He doesn’t usually kill innocents. The only murders that I know he has committed are of people who owed him money or who messed with his business…”

“My grandfather owed him a great deal of money… Well, not him per se, ‘cause he was on the run then, but his family… He had taken a huge loan from them to save his business, but he couldn’t pay them back and so they started threatening him and the whole family. My mother worked for my grandfather, but didn’t know any of this and we didn’t either at the time. We only found out, after she was killed… He killed her inside our house… He sneaked in, when he knew she was alone and slit her throat with a kitchen knife… He knew that there was no one at home. Sammy and I were at school and dad was at work… He must have followed her from Samuel’s factory, where she worked and then spied on her or something, ‘cause he knew exactly when to strike. He left a signed note on the kitchen counter under the bloody knife, informing us of his identity and that’s how we know it was him. I’ve heard that he’s done it in all his murders. Samuel never told us that he owed money to the Collins… it was my grandmother at mom’s funeral, who said it. Samuel didn’t want us to know that all this was his fault and even after everything, he kept blaming dad for mom’s death…”

“I’m speechless… I don’t know what to say to you, Dean… This is horrible… But I don’t understand one thing… I thought that your grandfather was a successful businessman… I didn’t know he owed any money…”

“Well, after the extent the story took the Collins didn’t ask to get their money back and for some time now we thought that Samuel was back on track and that his business was doing well, but after he talked to me at the wedding, I know that that’s not the case…” said Dean.

“Why, what did he tell you at the wedding?” asked Michael.

“He wanted me to ask you for a loan and I told him to go fuck himself… That’s the only reason he even came to the wedding… He doesn’t care one bit about me. The only thing he cared about was that I was marrying someone who is rich.”

“Dean… he’s still your family and I know you love your grandmother, you wouldn’t want her to suffer too, would you? If you want, I can give him the money he needs…” 

“No, I don’t want you to… He’s always been an asshole to me and especially after I became an omega… He always said that I was my father’s son and that I didn’t get anything from mom… Why should I help him?”

“Because you’re not him… Because you’re good and family is important to you…” said Michael and stroked his cheek.

“I… I don’t know… the only thing I’m thinking about now is finding out where that murderer is hiding… I just need to talk to your mother… I have to know whether she knows or not… I have to…” said Dean.

“I know… I know… Just don’t worry… Everything is going to be fine… I have to believe that it is…”

…Α-Ω…

Cas was sitting uncomfortably in his mother’s living room, while she was fixing him a drink. After eight years, she had managed to stay exactly the way he remembered her. The same red hair and red lips... the same beautiful face. It looked like time hadn’t touched her at all and the only indicator that she was older were a few wrinkles around her eyes that were mostly visible, whenever she smiled.

“Cas… honey…. You can’t imagine how happy it makes me that you’re here… That I get to have you in my home… It’s been long! I missed you…” she said, when she sat beside him on the couch, giving him his drink.

“I know… I… I missed you too, mom…” Cas said and she smiled.

“So… how are your brothers? Is Lucifer doing okay now? He’s married, isn’t he? Is Kali and Gabriel alright? I always liked Kali… I’m so happy she married my baby… She and I always had a communication, we understood each other… To tell you the truth, at first I wanted her to marry Michael, but I’m not complaining that she married Gabriel instead… I… I’ve been reading the papers… So… Michael finally got married… to an omega…”

“Yes… he did… Dean is great…” said Cas and lowered his head sadly, only for his mother to hold his chin and lift his head back up, making him look at her…”

“So… it’s true then… the scandal in the papers? You’re in love with your brother’s mate… Is that why you came here? To get away?”

“Mom, I…” started Cas, but Abaddon interrupted him.

“Shhh… It’s okay, baby… I’m not going to judge you… I just can’t help but wonder how that man is and he has managed to make both my sons fall in love with him…” she said and stroked his hair.

“I… I can’t speak for Michael, but it was love at first sight for me… Even before that, actually… I smelled him when he was approaching me… His scent was so perfect… I fell immediately in love with him and then… I saw his perfect face and heard his beautiful voice… It was mesmerizing… I… I actually thought that we were true mates… I couldn’t explain any differently the way I felt about him… But… he claims that he loves my brother, so….”

“You don’t sound so sure that that’s the case…” she said, smiling at him.

“I… I don’t know, mom… I… I never thought that his marriage with Michael was real… That he liked to be with him… but then… he was trying so hard to make me believe that he was… The last time I saw him, though, he… I think that he got upset when I told him that I was wrong to think that I loved him and that we were true mates and then when I said that I was leaving… I could swear he was sad… even though, only a few hours back, he had told me that he never wanted to see me again or speak to me… I don’t know what to think anymore”, Cas said and buried his face in his hands.

“Did you mean any of that? That you stopped loving him or whatever?”

“I… no… I only said that to give him a way out… I didn’t want him to feel guilty about what he said to me… to think that I was unhappy, because of him… I wanted to make it easier for the both of us… Perhaps if I pretend to not love him, it will actually happen… I don’t know…”

“And what about Anna? The last time we spoke on the phone, you sounded madly in love with her… I don’t understand the change of heart all of the sudden…”

“I still love Anna… she’s just…”

“Not Dean…” Abaddon finished for him.

“Yeah… I guess… Everyone else is fine, by the way, since you asked… Lucifer is doing great and he is happily married to a beautiful woman, named Lilith… I’ve talked to you about that before, haven’t I?”

“Oh, yes… but you know me… I’m not so good with names…”

“… and Kali and Gabriel are okay, I suppose…”

“What is that tone? Did something happen between them?” Abaddon asked.

“I don’t know… I haven’t seen them together for a while, because… Kali… Mom, she tried to poison Dean and… Michael found out and slapped her and told her that he never wanted to see her ever again… Gabe hasn’t told me anything, but… I think they had a fight after that… I don’t know where their marriage is standing right now…”

“She tried to poison the omega? Why would she do such a thing?” Abaddon asked, feigning shock and sadness.

“I think she was jealous of him… because I guess, Michael gave him a few liberties and she felt threatened… I don’t know… The whole thing happened the day I returned home… I don’t know what was going on before then… not really…”

“Oh, I’m sure everything will be alright again… Don’t worry, Cas… To change the subject… now that you’re here, I think that… it’s a good chance for you to meet some of my friends and I took the liberty of inviting one of them over for dinner tonight… I hope that’s okay… I know that maybe you wanted to spend the day just with me, after all these years that we haven’t seen each other, but… I think it’s a great way to break the ice… I can see that you’re still uncomfortable with me…”

“One of your friends? And why is it so important that I meet him that he had to come on my first day here? Mom… are you hiding something from me? Are you going to remarry? Is that what this is about?”

“Oh, God no… Nothing like that… I just… I just thought that you would feel weird sitting alone just with me after all this time and like I said, I needed an icebreaker… I’ve told him a lot of things about you and he is excited to meet you…” she said.

“Oh… okay, then… I guess… So, what is his name?” asked Cas curiously.

“His name is Azazel… you’ll see… You’re gonna love him…” Abaddon said and patted his arm. This was certainly going to be an interesting dinner.


	27. Cold Hearted Bitch

It was early in the afternoon and Cas was in the room his mother gave him to stay. The trip and all the stress from the previous days were getting to him and he felt exhausted. Subsequently, he had decided to lie down for a few hours until it was time for dinner, but that terrible headache wasn’t letting him get any sleep. So, after getting up from the bed, he decided to go and ask his mother, if she had an aspirin or something to help him deal with the pain and then sleep.

Heading down the stairs of his mother’s mansion, barefoot, in just some sweatpants and a white T-shirt, he heard his mother’s voice coming from the living room, but before he had a chance to approach her, he stopped dead in his tracks, hearing the conversation his mother was having with someone over the phone.

“Yes, he came earlier, today… I haven’t told him anything yet… Just that I invited a friend over for dinner… Az… I know… but this is something that I can’t do by myself… Don’t worry, it’s not too soon… I don’t think Cas has ever heard anything about you… He couldn’t possibly make the connection… He didn’t react at all when I told him your first name… I… No… I don’t think so… We need to tell him together… I don’t know how he’s going to react… No… don’t worry… He went upstairs to sleep half an hour ago. He was really tired from his trip… We can speak freely… 

…Listen, both of us have a lot to lose here… You, a son and me, the chance to get my hands on Michael’s company… That incompetent, Crowley, has done nothing so far… I know… I know that it’s still early, but the more I wait for some development, the more frustrated I get… Cas has apparently been fighting with Michael over that omega bitch and he wants to leave the company… Bela heard their fight the other day… Cas, himself, told me that he wants to give his shares to Gabriel… I can’t let him do that… I have to convince him to give them to me or Lucifer… That and Crowley’s company should do the trick… I can’t wait to see my eldest son’s face, when he finds out that I’m the one behind his huge deal with Crowley… Slowly, but surely, he’s handing me over his company and he doesn’t even know it… I have Bela informing me of their every move… I don’t trust Crowley to tell me of these things… My poor son won’t know what hit him…” Cas heard Abaddon say and braced himself on the wall next to the stairs. He couldn’t believe the things that he was hearing. 

“…No… I’m not at all sorry… He threw me out, just like his father did… I’m gonna take everything away from them… Starting with Cas… He trusts me completely… that’s not an issue… I should get an Oscar for that performance I gave earlier… You should have seen me… Acting like I didn’t know anything about Kali giving Michael’s bitch the sex pills to poison him… Sounding so understanding of his pathetic love for that omega… I just wish we would put that bitch in one of your brothels already and save ourselves the drama and all the trouble… Our attempt to get rid of him didn’t work, so we should at least make a profit out of him… We should have told Lilith to give Kali the stronger pills… Can you imagine? A bitch has more rights over my son’s fortune than me… But that is going to change very soon… 

…I’m gonna take everything… Of course, because I’m such a good mother, I will let them work for me… at some ridiculous post… Chuck is going to flip… I can’t wait to rub it in his face… He’s the one to lose the most… He’s gonna lose a son and see his other precious son being defeated by me… No… no… don’t worry… Lucifer assured me that Michael doesn’t suspect anything… He has Meg informing him of Michael’s every move… And you can’t imagine what she found out the other day…

… Richard Roman went to Michael’s office and made him an offering to pay to have Dean in his bed once a week… How much do you think he would pay us for more times than that? Haha… I’m telling you… We should exploit that omega bitch… Oh, please… Cas will get over his infatuation… Besides, he’ll never find out… We could kidnap the omega and make him disappear… No one will ever see him again… Except the ones who will be his clients… Haha… I’m telling you, we could make good money out of that bitch… Your female omegas are nothing compared to a male one…” Abaddon went on.

Cas thought that he was going to be sick. How could this person be his mother? And who the hell was she talking to? Whoever it was, she called him “Az”. It was probably that Azazel guy, she told him that was coming over for dinner. Who the hell was this guy? And Lucifer? He has been scheming with his mother behind Michael’s back to destroy their brother’s company… And from the sound of it, so has Meg… and Crowley… and Bela… And what were they talking about? Who was the son Chuck would lose? Were they referring to Lucifer? And what did they want to tell Cas tonight? If Cas had a headache before, now he felt like his head was going to explode.

“… Oh, no… I don’t have it yet… Lilith was going to bring it to me, but then Cas turned up…So, she won’t be coming… About that… be careful with your words tonight… Cas has no idea that I know Lilith… I pretended to not even remember her name earlier… She really has changed though, hasn’t she? Could you ever imagine that that filthy drug addict whore of yours would become such a lady? Well, of course my son was the one to make that miracle happen… Yes… I know… I’m not stupid to trust her and Lucifer completely, but I promised my son that I would reward him for what he’s doing now… It’s only Gabriel that I don’t know what to do with… Yes, don’t worry… Everything is under control... I’ll see you later tonight… Don’t be late… Bye…”

Cas felt like his feet were glued to the ground and he couldn’t move, but he had to. He used all the self-control he had to move his feet, despite the shock and go back up the stairs and back to his room, before his mother realized his presence. She couldn’t know that he heard her. He had to call Michael, somebody… This was crazy. This couldn’t be happening.

…Α-Ω…

When Cas closed his bedroom door behind him, he immediately ran to find his cell phone. With shaky hands, he found Michael’s number and made the call. After only two rings, Michael picked up.

“Cas? Are you okay?” came Michael’s panicked voice from the other end of the line. If Cas was calling him, he was certain that something serious had happened. He thought that perhaps Cas found out the truth about Azazel.

“Michael?” said Cas in a shaky voice.

“Cas… it’s okay… I promise… We’ll get through this…” said Michael in return. His brother’s reaction puzzled Cas. Maybe Michael managed to find out about their mother’s plans, after all.

“Michael, you know? I heard mother talking over the phone… I heard everything… I can’t believe this… What are you gonna do about it?” said Cas, panicking even more.

“Where are you? Are you at her house? Where is she?” asked Michael.

“I’m in the bedroom she gave me… She has no idea I know…” said Cas, whispering.

“Cas, it’s okay… Me and Dean are on our way to get you… Please stay calm, Cassie… You don’t have to be afraid of anything changing… You’re still my little brother… You always will be and I’m always going to protect you, no matter what… Please, don’t listen to whatever she might say to you until we get there…” 

Those words really puzzled Cas, but the thing that shocked him the most was that he and Dean were coming to their mother’s house. He couldn’t let them do that. Dean was in danger.

“Michael, you can’t come here with Dean… he’s in danger… I don’t know what they might do to him here…”

“What are you talking about, Cas? Why would Dean be in any danger?” asked Michael. Cas’ words didn’t make any sense.

“Mother wants to kidnap him and put him in a brothel…” said Cas out of the blue.

There was silence at the other end of the line for a few seconds, but then, Michael spoke again.  
“What? What are you talking about? Why would mother want…” started Michael, but Cas interrupted him.

“I heard her talking to that Azazel or whatever the hell his name is, over the phone… She said that she would take away your company and that she wanted to put Dean in one of that man’s brothels…” said Cas.

Another long pause.  
“What did you just say? Mother wants to take my company? And she wants to give Dean to Azazel to work in one of his brothels? Cas… what… what the hell? She… please tell me… Did you see that man? Do you know where he is?” asked Michael, panicking. So, Cas apparently didn’t know anything about Azazel being his father, but had found out something far more serious. 

“Uhm… no I haven’t seen him yet… but mother said that he was coming over for dinner…”

“He is coming over? Tonight? Cas? Do you know who that man is? Did mom tell you anything about him? I need to know exactly what she told you and what you heard…” said Michael, urgently.

“She just told me that she invited a friend over for dinner that was excited to meet me… I don’t know anything else about that guy, except his first name… Azazel… I heard the rest, while she was talking to him on the phone… She was calling him “Az”… Michael, you have to do something and fast… Our mother has been plotting with Lucifer and Lilith and they’re trying to steal your company… Our mother is the one behind Crowley… The whole deal is fake… I knew there was something shady about that man… and there are other people involved in this, as well… That Bela chick has been working for mom since the very beginning, informing her about everything… She even told mom about our fight… She was eavesdropping yesterday, that’s why I found her standing right outside the door, when I opened it… Even your assistant, Meg… she has been informing Lucifer of your every move… They’re all trying to bring you down… Only Gabriel and uncle Zachariah don’t know anything about it…”

“I can’t believe this…” said Michael.

“Michael, what are we going to do? I’m so sorry, I didn’t listen to you, when you told me to never contact mom… I couldn’t have possibly known what an evil person she was…”

“Cas, it’s okay… Listen to me… If Abby doesn’t know that you know all this, you have to pretend like everything is normal… You can’t tell her anything… You must let that man come to the house for dinner… Don’t worry about the company, I’ll handle everything… I promise, I won’t fall in their trap… Cas, this man is really important to me… His full name is Azazel Collins and he is a drug dealer and a murderer and from the sound of it, owner of brothels… You must let him come to the house, so that we can tell the police… Cas, this man is the one who murdered Dean’s mother…”

“What? What are you talking about? Why? I don’t understand…” 

“We’ll explain everything later, Cas… You need to focus now… You can’t let her know anything about this… Act natural until the police gets there… Okay?” asked Michael.

“Yes… okay… I’ll do it… Michael?” asked Cas hesitantly.

“Tell me, what’s wrong?”

“Is Dean with you? Can I… Can I talk to him, please?”

“Uh… yeah… Cas… He… he’s right here… just wait a second…” said Michael.

“Cas?” came Dean’s voice from the phone.

“Dean? I… I didn’t know… I didn’t know that my mother was working with that man… I’m so sorry…” said Cas.

“Hey, it’s okay, buddy… Just… try to relax, okay? And don’t give away our plan… Everything is going to be fine… I promise… You’ll be fine and then after everything is over, Michael and I will come and get you, okay?” Dean said reassuringly.

“Yeah, okay… I’ll see you later, Dean… I promise you that this man will pay for what he did… I’ll make sure of it…” Cas said in return.

“I know, Cas… I trust you… Goodbye…”

“Goodbye…” Cas said and hang up the phone.

Cas just had to wait until the evening and then everything would go as planned. No more surprises… Or where there more to come?


	28. Angels and Demons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hello, my dear readers!   
> Before you move on to this chapter of my story, I'd like to thank each and every one of you for subscribing or bookmarking the story and for leaving kudos and comments. But most importantly, thank you all for reading! It means a lot to me and helps me to keep writing it! :D 
> 
> I hope you like this chapter too!
> 
> WARNING! IT WILL GET A LITTLE VIOLENT TOWARDS THE END!
> 
> Enjoy reading!

When evening came around, Cas decided to finally get dressed and go downstairs. He had spent the whole afternoon freaking out in his room, thinking about how his mother was friends with the man that killed Dean’s mom and he couldn’t get his mind off the cruel things Abaddon had been saying about Dean. Dean was a wonderful person and Cas would die first before he let anything happen to him. He just had to stay calm until the police came and then, everything would be fine. He’d get to see Dean again and his mother wouldn’t dare touch him. From the sound of it, she was probably going to get in prison herself. It sounded like she was deep in all this shit with Azazel, so, Cas doubted that she was going to get away with it. But after everything he heard, he couldn’t feel sorry for her. She most certainly deserved what was coming for her.

Once he was formally dressed for dinner, he headed downstairs to find his mother. Michael had texted him to text him back, when Azazel came and told him that after his signal, it wouldn’t be long before the police came too. So, Cas put his cell phone securely inside his suit jacket pocket, before he left his room and then prayed internally for everything to go smoothly.

When he reached the living room, his mother was sitting on the couch, reading a newspaper and Cas hesitantly sat in the armchair near to where his mother was sitting.

“Oh, Cas… I’m glad you woke up, honey… Did you sleep well? You still seem to be very tired…” Abaddon said, looking at the dark circles under Castiel’s eyes.

“No, I’m fine… I fell asleep two minutes after I got upstairs… I was exhausted… But I guess I’ve been too tired these past few days and I need a lot more sleep to start looking fresh again”, Cas answered.

“Oh, don’t worry… You’re here now… You can rest as much as you like… I won’t judge you, if you want to sleep for a whole day even…”

“Thank you, mother… Uh… where is that friend of yours that we’re expecting for dinner?” Cas asked, feigning ignorance of the things he found out about the man.

“Oh, Azazel? He shouldn’t be long… I told him not to be late… Besides, like I said, he’s excited to meet you, so I’m sure that he’ll be here on time. Az knows how important it is for me to have you here… The only son who kept contacting me, when everyone else turned their backs on me”, Abaddon said. In her words Cas could detect the hidden venom that she let flow so freely, during that phone call. 

“Is that how you feel, mother? Are you perhaps angry at them for doing that?” Cas asked raising a brow.

“No, of course not, honey… Bless their hearts, I love them… I could never be angry at my children… I just miss them, that’s all… I just wish I could have them here, the same way I have you, now…” she said. 

Cas just wanted so bad to unmask her. How could she lie like that? If he didn’t know any better, he would still think that his mother was an angel instead of the devil she really was.

“Are you okay, Cas? You seem a little off, this evening…” Abaddon asked him, suspiciously.

“Oh, no… don’t worry, mother… I’m just still tired I guess and when I’m tired, I tend to space out. So, what’s for dinner?” Cas asked innocently and Abaddon smiled at that, being certain that everything was alright.

…Α-Ω…

It was half an hour later, when the doorbell finally rang. Cas immediately tensed at the sound and as his mother got up from the couch to go greet her friend, he took out his phone ready to text Michael.

“Oh, Az… I’m so glad you’re here…” Cas heard his mother say and quickly texted Michael, ‘He’s here’ and then put his phone back inside his pocket.  
“Come meet my son…” Abaddon said and two seconds later, both she and Azazel were standing in front of Cas in the living room.

Cas looked up, trying his hardest not to give away the way he felt about that man and was surprised at the look Azazel was giving him. If he didn’t know any better, he’d swear it was love and adoration that were reflected in this man’s eyes and that was really confusing for him. Why the hell did that man want to meet Cas so badly as his mother had claimed earlier? This was all a mystery for Cas.

“You’re Cas?” Azazel said in a soft voice. Cas would never imagine a criminal like him to be able to talk so sweetly.

“Uh… Castiel…” Cas corrected.  
“Only my family and closest friends call me Cas…” he said.

Azazel gave him a sad smile and then spoke.  
“Of course, Castiel… As you wish… I’m Azazel, a friend of your mother’s… She has told me a lot of things about you and I really wanted to meet you”, Azazel said and then got near Cas and extended his hand for a handshake.

“Funny… mother never told me anything about you…” Cas said, not taking the man’s hand, making him pull it back to his side awkwardly, after a while.

Abaddon seeing the weird exchange decided to step in, then.  
“Well, I never really had the chance… Our phone calls were always short and I just wanted to know everything about how my sons were doing… There was never time to talk about me… But I want this to change, Cas… now that you’re here… Me and Azazel are very close and I want you to like him, too… It is important to me that you like my best friend…” she said.

“Of course, mother…” said Cas.

“Well, why don’t we step into the dining room, then? The food is ready and I’m starving, to be honest”, Abaddon said and then led them to the dining room.

Once they were seated and the food was served, Azazel took another shot to speak to Cas.  
“So, Castiel? What’s your profession? Your mother told me that you work for your brother in his company…”

“Worked… past tense… I’m unemployed for the time being… I’ve studied economics and that’s what my job was about… I dealt with the company’s financials. I have offers from other companies, though… It shouldn’t be hard to get a new job…” said Cas, without looking at him and then went back to his food.

“Oh, that’s good, son…” Azazel said, but Cas quickly interrupted him.

“I’m not your son… Please refrain from saying things like that. I already have a father… Please, just call me Castiel…”

“Cas, Azazel didn’t mean anything by it… He was just being polite…” said Abaddon, noticing the grimace on Azazel’s face at Castiel’s words.

“No, it’s okay, Abby… I understand why Castiel got upset… He barely even knows me… I have no right to call him that…” said Azazel.

“Well, I’m glad we cleared that out…” said Cas.  
“So… what do you do for a living, Mr. …? I’m sorry, I didn’t get your last name…” he said then.

“Oh… Collins… My last name is Collins… Uhm… a little bit of everything I suppose… You see I’m a businessman…” answered Azazel.

‘Mob boss sums it up just fine… asshole’, Cas thought.  
“Oh, is that so? And what kind of business would you be running, then?” Cas asked instead.

“I run a factory that makes clothes for women, but I do other stuff too… You know… stock market… etc…”

‘More like trafficking women and male omegas… bastard’, Cas thought again.  
“Oh… good for you! And is your business going well?”

“Yeah, it’s very successful… It’s not a big brand or anything, but we’re doing okay…”

“Maybe, I’ve heard of it… what is the brand’s name?” asked Cas. He had to know if Azazel was lying to him or if there was an actual clothing brand that he was running, probably for money laundering.

“Angels and Demons… That’s the name… have you heard of it?”

“No, I’m afraid I haven’t…”

“Well, isn’t that great? Already getting to know each other…” said Abaddon.  
“Cas, perhaps you could give him some financial advice for his business…” she went on.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, mother…” started Cas.

“Why not?” Abaddon interrupted him, but before she could finish what she wanted to say, a loud noise came from outside and then there was a voice coming from a loudspeaker.

“AZAZEL COLLINS, THIS IS THE POLICE! WE KNOW YOU ARE INSIDE… COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR AND DO NOT TRY TO ESCAPE! YOU ARE SURROUNDED… I REPEAT, YOU ARE SURROUNDED… COME OUT NOW… WE CAN SEE YOU AND WE HAVE GUNS POINTING AT YOU… DO NOT TRY ANYTHING… THERE IS NO ESCAPE…” the voice said. Both Abaddon and Azazel were looking at each other with wide eyes and then Azazel decided to speak, turning to look at Cas.

“Now, I understand all this hostility on your part, Cas… So, you know who I am… But the question is… do you know what I am to you?” Azazel said like there was no rush and nothing wrong at all.

“What are you talking about? All I know is that you are a piece of trash and from what I heard you are expected elsewhere… So, get the fuck out and surrender…” Cas said.

“Cas, what are you…?” started Abaddon, but Azazel interrupted her.

“It’s okay, Abby… So, Cas, here, was the one to turn me in, apparently… so, be it… I might be a trash, Castiel, but I am something much more important than that too… I am your real father…”

Cas just stared at him with wide eyes.

“AZAZEL COLLINS… GET OUT OF THE HOUSE WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR, NOW! STOP STALLING…”

“What are you talking about? My father is Chuck… I am a Novak… Mother, what is he talking about? ANSWER ME…” Cas yelled at the end of his sentence, while gripping tight the tablecloth with his left hand.

“The truth, Castiel… Azazel is your father… I’m not your mother… You are adopted… There is not even one drop of Novak blood running in your veins… You are a Collins… just like Azazel… You are his son…”

The horror was written all over Castiel’s face and he started trembling.  
“No no no… that’s not true… it can’t be… you’re not my father… You… you killed Dean’s mom… you can’t be my father… No no…”

“AZAZEL COLLINS… GET UP FROM THE TABLE AND COME TO THE FRONT DOOR NOW… SURRENDER OR WE WILL SHOOT YOU…”

“So, I was right… That Winchester IS the same one… Sorry, son… but business is business and trust me that bitch ain’t for you…”

“Don’t you dare call him that… Dean is not a bitch… Dean is the most wonderful human being and you are a murderer…” said Cas with tears in his eyes.

“AZAZEL COLLINS… THIS IS THE LAST WARNING… GET OUT WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR NOW OR WE WILL SHOOT YOU IN 10…”

“You are pathetic…”

“…9…”

“Pining over a bitch…”

“…8…”

“I can’t believe I waited so long to meet you…”

“…7…”

“You’re not the son I wanted…”

“…6…”

“So, I only have one use for you…” said Azazel standing up.

“…5…”

Cas was sitting right across from him and in a blink of an eye, Azazel reached for the gun he had hidden in the back of his pants with his right hand and with his left he reached for Cas, grabbing him from his hair and then pointing the gun directly on his head. Abaddon just gasped in surprise behind them and stood up, covering her mouth with her hands.

“COLLINS, DON’T BE STUPID… LEAVE THE YOUNG MAN BE… DON’T YOU DARE DO ANYTHING STUPID…”

“IF YOU MOTHERFUCKERS WANT ME SO MUCH, GET READY FOR THE KID TO DIE… I WILL KILL HIM… LET ME GO OR I’LL SHOOT HIS BRAINS OUT…” screamed Azazel, looking out the large window that was seeing inside the dining room, after having dragged Cas over the table by his hair. Azazel was now holding him in place, standing right next to him, with the gun pointing at his head.

“NOW I’M THE ONE WHO’S COUNTING DOWN…” said Azazel and before he could realize what was happening, he felt a push from behind, which caused him to miss his step, so that the gun wasn’t pointing at Cas’ head anymore. Before he could fall on the ground, however, and while he felt the first gunshots piercing his back, he fired his weapon, hitting Cas on his stomach and chest, making him join him on the floor, in a puddle of blood.

And then there was silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, any thoughts?
> 
> P.S. I have no idea of police procedures, so bear with me and don't judge too harsh! Haha... :-P


	29. The Most Beautiful Blue Eyes in the World

FOUR DAYS LATER…

Dean was sitting next to Castiel’s bed, watching as the alpha’s chest rose and fell, while breathing. He still couldn’t breathe on his own and had an oxygen mask on and was hooked in so many machines that it made Dean’s heart break. They had only brought him in his room today. After hours and hours of surgery, with the doctors trying to stop his internal bleeding, Cas had spent the past three days in the ICU and today was the first day in his room and the only day family was allowed to see him. Cas was still unconscious and unresponsive and all of his family, including Dean, was terrified because of it.

Dean had spent almost every minute at the hospital and only left twice for a quick shower at his and Michael’s hotel room and then returned again. He claimed that he felt responsible for what happened to Cas and couldn’t leave without knowing that he was getting better. Michael didn’t want to read more into it, because he felt like shit himself. After that night, he barely slept and was always at the hospital. The only times he left, was for showering and changing his clothes, like Dean, but other than that, he was always there. Gabriel had come too, at the end of the first day and then so did Chuck and Anna. Lucifer didn’t dare to show his face after all the revelations and as for Abaddon, she was held in prison. The only good thing that came out of all this was that Azazel was dead and had paid for all the evil he had done. But if Cas died, none of that would matter. 

Anna was devastated and kept praying in the hospital’s chapel for Cas to get better and when she was not praying, she was right outside Castiel’s room at the ICU, watching him from the window, until he was brought to his own room and she was allowed to see him face to face. Whenever she saw Dean outside the ICU, she would glare daggers at him and then turn the other way, but she hadn’t told him anything besides that. The moment they brought Castiel to his room, however, Anna made it clear that he was not welcome in there and she never left her husband’s side. But after long hours of sitting right next to Cas and staring at him, Chuck convinced her that she should get something to eat and she reluctantly left the room, giving Dean the opportunity to sneak into his room and sit beside him for a while. It wasn’t long, however, before Michael came inside the room too, looking for his omega.

“Baby?” said Michael softly, while entering the room.  
“How is he doing?” he asked then, taking the other chair and sitting next to his brother’s bed from the other side from where Dean was sitting.

“The same… Why isn’t he waking up, Michael?” asked Dean, panicked.

“The doctors say that it’s a miracle that he survived… I know him… my brother is strong… He’ll bounce back up, you’ll see… He’s just saving his strength for now… I’m sure he’ll wake up… Don’t worry… Aren’t you tired? You haven’t left the hospital at all… You need to rest, Dean…”

“Look who’s talking… You haven’t left at all either… And besides… I told you… I feel responsible for this… I don’t want to leave him…”

“You’re not responsible, Dean… If anyone is responsible for what happened to Cas, that’s me… And it’s different… I’m his brother… I have to be here… You don’t… At least not as much as I do… You need to get some sleep, baby…” said Michael.

“I’m fine… I just want to sit here for a while… before Anna comes back and makes me leave… I promise I’ll come with you, then… to eat or whatever…”

“Visiting hours end in one hour… We should go to our hotel room, when they do…”

“Okay…” said Dean, without taking his eyes from Castiel’s face.

“I’ll see you in a while…” said Michael and got up from his chair.

“Yeah… okay… see you…” said Dean and Michael left the room, leaving him and Cas alone.

…Α-Ω…

The moment he stepped outside, he saw Gabriel drinking a cup of coffee in the waiting area and headed his way.

“Hey…” he said and sat next to his brother.

“How is Cas?” asked Gabriel with a sad expression on his face.

“The same…” said Michael and buried his face in his hands.

“He’s going to be okay, Michael… you’ll see…” said Gabriel and gave him a light pat on his shoulder.

“Yeah… I have to believe that he will or I’ll get crazy if I don’t… This is all my fault, Gabe… Why didn’t I think that it would be dangerous for him to be in there? Why?”

“You couldn’t have known that the bastard would shoot his own son…” said Gabriel and Michael looked at him with wide eyes.

“Don’t look so surprised… Dad told me everything… About Azazel being Cas’ real father and that that man was also the one who killed Dean’s mom… He also told me that it was mother who prevented him from killing Cas… She told the police that she pushed him, right when he was ready to shoot him in his head, but then he fired his weapon anyway, when he started falling and that’s how he got Cas on the stomach and the chest… The police confirmed that Cas was shot from that angle and that they saw the whole thing from the windows… It’s crazy…” Gabriel finally said and sighed.

“Tell me about it…”

“Is Dean in Cas’ room?” Gabriel asked then.

Michael made a sad face and then answered.  
“Yeah… he is… he hasn’t left for more than a couple of hours from the hospital… He says that he feels responsible and that he doesn’t want to leave him…”

“Well, don’t worry… When Anna comes back from the cafeteria, she’ll make him leave… She yelled at him earlier and told him to stay the hell away from Cas… She was pretty emotional… Dad told her everything too and now she blames Dean for that fiasco at our mother’s… She thinks that the only reason Cas is in the place he is right now, is because he wanted to help Dean catch his mother’s murderer… She already blamed him for ruining her marriage… You can understand how she must be feeling now… The question is… how do you feel about all this?” Gabriel asked him.

“I… I don’t want to think about it… I can’t forbid him to be here… but I don’t like the hours he’s spending at the hospital… It’s more than guilt, Gabe… I can see it in his eyes… He cares about him a lot, loves him even… When I went inside the room, you have no idea how he was looking at him… He didn’t pay the slightest attention to me, while we spoke, but kept looking at Cas the whole time, like his life depended on it. I’m glad that at least Anna wants to keep him away… I couldn’t do it myself without becoming the bad guy… And to think that she doesn’t even know that Cas cheated on her with Dean…”

“Well, she let out her claws, alright… Dean was just looking at her like a kicked kitten… He understood that she had every right to ask him to leave, but then again he didn’t want to… I think that you should be careful, when Cas wakes up… After Cas got shot, Dean became really attached to him… You need to take him away, when Cas is better… Omegas tend to do that in times like these… Becoming attached, I mean… They’re pretty emotional. And Dean seems to care a lot about Cas… If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that it was the alpha of whom Dean bears the mark on his neck that was in a coma…”

“I know, Gabe… don’t you think I know? But what am I supposed to do? I’m worried about Cas too… I can’t start thinking about all these things… Hopefully, Anna will be enough for now, to keep him away…”

“Yeah… hopefully…” repeated Gabriel.

“What’s up with you? How are things with Kali going?” asked Michael.

“I don’t know… not so good, I guess… When I came back to New York, we had a fight and we’ve barely spoken ever since… And there is also that douche, Baldur, that is working with her at the firm and they’re like always together… going on professional dinners or some crap… I think that there might be something going on between them…” said Gabriel and then buried his face in his hands.

“I’m sorry to tell you this, Gabe, but I never liked that woman… It wouldn’t surprise me, if she was cheating on you… I remember when mom was trying to get us together… What a joke…”

“Yeah, ‘cause you’re so much better now. Your husband cheated on you with your brother during the first week of your marriage… If you ask me, he’s worse than Kali…” said Gabriel irritated, but then immediately regretted it, when he saw the sad and pained expression on his brother’s face.

“Sorry… I shouldn’t have said that…”

“No… it’s okay… You’re right… he did cheat on me on the first week… My marriage is far worse than yours… And the worst thing is that I feel like I’m the only one who wants to keep it alive… I don’t think Dean cares anymore… if he ever did… The past few days all he cared about was Cas… I don’t think he would be that devastated, if it was me lying on that bed…”

“Don’t say that, Mikey… Dean still cares about you…”

“I’m not that convinced…” said Michael and paused.  
“Do you think Anna might want to give Cas and their marriage a second chance after all this?”

“Why? Oh, I see… You think that it’s the only way for Dean to stay away from him… Michael… if you’re suffering so much and you are always afraid that Dean is going to leave you, why don’t you just take a divorce? You’ve only been married for two weeks and your marriage has been crappy since day one… If you do, you’ll feel a lot better in time… Nowadays, you’re always depressed…”

“You think it’s that easy? I love him… I don’t want to lose him, Gabe… We are mated and we both bear each other’s marks… I… I don’t want to lose him… He means the world to me…”

“Yes, but he makes you miserable… Perhaps it is the mature thing to just let him go…”

“And why do I always have to be the mature one? Why can’t I have what I want for once, without thinking of the consequences?”

“Michael this is a human being you’re talking about, not an object…”

“It’s not what I meant…” Michael defended himself, but before he had a chance to finish, they both saw Anna approaching with Chuck beside her.

“Hey dad… Anna…” said Gabriel, when they reached them.

“Any change? He’s still asleep?” asked Anna. She looked terrible. She had black circles under her eyes and looked exhausted.

“Yeah… Michael was just in there… no change…” answered Gabriel.

“I’m going to go and sit with him… I don’t want to leave him alone…” she said then.

“He’s not alone… Dean is with him…” said Michael.

“What? Why did you let him go in there, Michael? I asked him to stay away… what the hell?” said Anna.

“Anna, please, don’t make a scene… Dean has been worried sick about Cas…” said Chuck.

“And whose fault is it that Cas is in there, right now? Huh? The only reason he went to his mother’s in the first place was because of him… and then they came up with this whole idiotic plan so that they would arrest Azazel, because he killed Dean’s mother…”

“Anna you can’t blame Dean for that… and it’s not like Cas is such a saint in this story…” said Gabriel.

“Oh, yeah? And what is that supposed to mean?” Anna asked furiously, trying not to yell inside the hospital.

“Nothing… just forget I said anything…” said Gabriel.

“That’s what I thought…” said Anna and then headed to Castiel’s room.

…Α-Ω…

When she opened the door, Dean didn’t even raise his eyes to see who it was. He was just sitting there, by Cas’ side, looking at him.

“What did I tell you?” Anna said then, making Dean look up and away from Cas for the first time.  
“Didn’t I say that you were not allowed to come in here?”

“Cas is my friend… I have every right to be by his side… I’m sure that if he was awake, he would tell you the same thing… I’m sure that he wants me to be here with him… Besides, why do you suddenly care so much? Weren’t you guys getting a divorce or something?” said Dean.

“That is none of your business, you jerk… How dare you? Cas is still my husband and if I tell you to leave, you will…” said Anna, angrily.

“I will leave… but not because you asked me, but because I want Cas to have his peace and only for the night… I will come back tomorrow and I will see him then… You can’t prevent me from seeing him…” said Dean as he got up from the chair.

“We’ll see about that…” Anna told him and then Dean left the room.

Once Dean was gone, Anna got near Cas’ bed and then sat at the chair Dean had been sitting on before and with her left hand, she stroked his hair and moved them from his forehead.

“Please, Cas… you have to wake up… Don’t leave us… Your baby needs you… Don’t let it grow up without its daddy… Please… You have to wake up…” Anna said with tears in her eyes, while stroking her stomach affectionately. But still there was no response.

…Α-Ω…

The next day, Dean and Michael didn’t waste any time and headed back to the hospital. Chuck, after being told the truth by Anna that she was pregnant, didn’t let her stay all night at the hospital and forced her to go and rest for a few hours at her hotel room, for the sake of the baby and reluctantly, she agreed and left. So, there was only Chuck at Cas’ room, when Dean and Michael arrived.

“Good morning, dad… you’ve been here all night? How is he doing?” asked Michael once they both got inside the room.

“Same… no response… I’m starting to get desperate… Shouldn’t he be awake by now?” asked Chuck.

“He’ll wake up, dad… You’ll see… Don’t worry… You look terrible… Why don’t I take you to the cafeteria and get a cup of coffee, huh?” Michael asked him, when he approached him. Dean just went and took a chair to sit beside Castiel’s bed.

“We won’t be long, baby…” Michael said, looking at Dean.

“Yeah, okay…” said Dean, but didn’t even turn to look at Michael.

Once they were gone, Dean was at last alone with Cas and moved his chair closer to the alpha’s bed, taking his left hand between his own and stroking it softly.

“Cas? When are you going to wake up, buddy? Everyone has been so worried about you… I’ve been so worried about you… Please, Cas… I need you… I was stupid to think I didn’t need you before… You’re too important to me to live without you… Please… I just want to see your beautiful blue eyes again… staring back at me… Open your eyes, Cas… open them… for me… please… I… I love you, Cas… please… don’t leave me…” said Dean and before he had a chance to continue speaking, he felt Cas’ hand move between his own and then, with a little bit of effort, the two beautiful blue eyes, he had been longing to see, opened and stared at him.

“Dean?” whispered Cas and the world returned to its place.


	30. It's a Miracle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, sorry for the delay and have a nice fall, everyone!  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D

“Cas? Oh my God! I can’t believe this… you’re awake…” said Dean, tears of happiness running down his face.  
“Are you feeling alright? Let me call the nurse and the doctor…” said Dean and made a move to leave Cas’ side.

“No… wait… just… give me some water… I’m thirsty… don’t leave me yet…” said Cas, while grabbing Dean by the sleeve of his shirt.

“I’m not going anywhere, buddy… don’t worry… Here… let me give you some water”, said Dean and filled a glass with water and then put a straw in it so that Cas would drink it more easily.

Once he helped Cas drink a few sips, he put the glass back on the nightstand and then took Castiel’s hand between his own.  
“What… what happened? Everything is a blur… I… I can’t remember how the hell I got here… The last thing I remember is going to my mother’s house in Washington…” said Cas holding his forehead with his free hand.

“Hey… hey… it’s alright… don’t push yourself. It will all come to you sooner or later… you need to take baby steps… We’re still in Washington… you got injured at your mother’s house… you… you got shot… We… we didn’t know whether you were going to make it or not… we were all very worried…” said Dean looking at Cas with eyes full of sadness.

“How long have I been out?” asked Cas, staring at the ceiling.

“Today’s the morning of the fifth day…”

“Is dad here?” asked Cas, looking back at Dean.

“Of course he is… he took the first plane when he found out about you… He’s been by your side all these days… he never leaves… Anna is here too… and Gabriel and Michael… only Lucifer didn’t come… your uncle Zachariah wanted to come, but he had to stay behind, because there were some serious issues he had to deal with at the company…” Dean said, stroking Cas’ hand gently.

“Anna is here? I… I thought she wouldn’t want to see me after everything that happened…”

“Yeah… she’s been here since day one… she’s been really worried about you…” said Dean and paused.  
“She must still love you very much…”

“I know she does… but I hurt her pretty badly… I… I’m surprised that she came…”

“At times like this one… those fights don’t mean a thing…” said Dean and looked away from Cas as the thought of Cas getting back with Anna came to his mind.

“Where is mom? She didn’t come?” Cas asked then.

“Your mother is being held at the police station… She was trying to steal Michael’s company and you found out about it… The man who shot you was working with her… Your mother prevented him from killing you, but couldn’t stop him from shooting you…”

“What? I… I can’t believe this… I… who is that man and why did he try to kill me?”

“No one important… we’ll tell you everything in time… Stop pressuring yourself… I really need to call the doctor now… Just relax, Cas… it’s all gonna be okay… I promise…”

…Α-Ω…

The doctor was in Cas’ room for about half an hour, examining him and all the family was waiting impatiently outside in silence, when Chuck decided to speak.

“What the hell is that doctor doing in there? I’m going crazy here…” he said and continued walking nervously around the waiting area.

“Dad, calm down… Cas is going to be okay… Now that he woke up, he’s going to be fine… Come and sit down for a second…” said Michael.

“I can’t… I just… Dean… what did he tell you, when he woke up? Was he upset about Azazel? I have to talk to him… explain… He’s already in a bad condition… I don’t want him to feel terrible about that piece of shit too…” said Chuck and looked at Dean with pleading eyes.

“Uhm… he uh… he doesn’t really remember him… he said that the last thing he remembered was going to his mother’s house and that after that everything was a blur… He asked me about it, but I didn’t really give him much information… I didn’t want to upset him… I just told him about his mother and Michael’s company… I told him that she was working together with the man who shot him and that she saved him, but I didn’t tell anything about him… He asked about his mother not being here… I had to tell him the truth… that she is in prison… I’m sorry…”

“No… it’s okay… You did well… The longer he goes without remembering about that son of a bitch, the better… Abby told me that Azazel told him the truth… Cas knows that he is his father… And don’t worry about her… He would find out what happened to her… It was just a matter of time…” said Chuck and before anyone else could speak, the doctor came out of Castiel’s room.

“Doctor, how is he?” Chuck almost ran to him and asked him with a panicked voice.

“He’s good… don’t worry… His vitals look good… The swelling at his brain has subsided greatly, putting him completely out of danger… His wounds are healing at a good pace and nicely… He’s of course understandably suffering from migraines and he is in pain all over, but he’s getting better by the minute… The only thing that worries me is that he seems not to be remembering any of the events of a day or so… It is possible that his brain is repressing those events, not allowing them to come to the surface, because of their traumatizing nature, so that he won’t suffer any further… That’s why I need to ask you to go easy on him… Don’t try to make him remember or ask him much about that night… Let him remember on his own… His brain will allow him to remember, when it’s safe… It might take a while, but trust me that’s even better for him… No one wants to remember such scarring events… I also need to ask you to keep the police away from him… I understand that now that he’s awake they might want to question him… Please avoid it for as long as possible… Give him the time he needs to remember and then he can testify…”

“Yes, doctor… of course… Can we please see him now?” asked Chuck.

“Yes, but I’m gonna have to ask you, no more than two people at a time, okay? And don’t tire him too much… He still needs a lot of rest…” said the doctor.

“Sure… Anna, are you coming?” said Chuck turning to look at his daughter in law, who had come running to the hospital the moment she heard Cas was awake.

“Yes, father…” she said and she followed Chuck inside the room.

“Doctor… can I ask you something?” said Michael the moment they were gone and before the doctor had a chance to leave.

“Yes, of course…” the doctor replied.

“When will it be safe to move him to New York?” asked Michael.

“Well, he needs to stay at least for another week or so at the hospital, before you can get him home, but I don’t see any reason not to move him to another hospital in New York right away, if that’s what you want… He’s out of danger, so if I handle the paperwork now, he can be transferred to New York tomorrow.”

“Yeah… that would be good… Do that… Thank you, doctor…” said Michael.

“No problem”, said the doctor and left.

It was only Gabriel, Dean and Michael now at the waiting area and once Gabriel received a phone call and moved further away, Michael turned to Dean and talked to him for the first time in a while.

“Are you okay, babe?” he asked Dean, stroking the omega’s arm, only to cause Dean to flinch away from his touch. That didn’t go unnoticed.

“Yeah… I’m just a bit tired…” said Dean, putting his arms around his torso and keeping his distance from the alpha.

“Do you want me to get you some coffee? I imagine that you don’t wish to leave the hospital…” said Michael, keeping his hands to himself and staring at the opposite wall.

“I’m good for now… I’ll get a cup of coffee later, after we go see Cas…” said Dean.

“I was thinking that we shouldn’t really tire him that much… I think that I and Gabriel should go for a couple of minutes after Anna and dad get out and then let him sleep. You’ve already seen him anyway…”

“I’ll just be a minute, I won’t tire him, I swear…” said Dean with pleading eyes.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea… Anna won’t want you in there, especially now that he’s awake… Anna seems confident to give their marriage a second chance… We should let them… Besides, it’s not just the two of them now…” said Michael, still not looking at Dean.

“So, this is about Anna? Are you sure it’s just her who doesn’t want me in there or is it you too? And what do you mean by it’s not just the two of them now? Who else are you talking about?” asked Dean, irritated.

“Anna is with child… my father told me earlier… She found out while she was away at her parents’ house… She was planning to come find Cas anyway, when he was in New York, but the events got to her first.”

“She’s… she… she’s having Cas’ baby?” asked Dean with wide eyes.

“Yes… she’s almost three months pregnant… So, I’m asking you… even if you want to see Cas just as a friend, stay away… Let them work things out… We did… just let them be happy again too and raise their baby together… Inside this whole mess, these are great news… At last, something to look forward to. The way I see it, Cas waking up and now this… I think it’s a miracle”, said Michael.

“Yeah… great news… a miracle…” murmured Dean and sat frozen at his seat. Everything just seemed to be always against him.

…Α-Ω…

“Cas, baby… are you okay?” said Anna the moment she entered the room and then went to Castiel’s side and hugged him carefully.

“Yeah… I’m good… The doctor said that I'll be fine…” said Cas in a tired voice.

“Son, I’m glad you’re okay… I’m so sorry for everything that happened the last time I saw you… Please, I need you to forgive me… I want you to know that you’re always welcome at my house… I was so terrified that I was going to lose you… It made me realize how foolish I was, telling you all those things. You’re my son and I love you… I don’t want us to fight ever again…” said Chuck, taking his son’s hand between his two own, while tears were running down his face.

“It’s okay, dad… I forgive you… I love you too… I’m the one who should apologize… I… I messed everything up… I was an idiot… Anna… you’re the one I hurt the most… I’m so sorry…” said Cas.

“It’s okay, Cas… I forgive you… You don’t need to worry about anything… Just get well, okay? When we go back to New York, I want you to come back to our house and live with me… I’ll look after you… We’ll get through this… I promise”, Anna said and cupped his cheek.

Chuck noticing his son’s cold reaction to Anna’s words decided to speak again.  
“I’ll let you two talk… you have a lot of things to discuss… I’ll see you later, son…” said Chuck and walked towards the door.

“Okay, dad…” Cas replied and after the door was closed behind Chuck, he turned his attention back to Anna.  
“Anna… I don’t think this is a good idea… You’re rushing into things… If we want to give us another chance, we need to take our time… I don’t think moving in together is good for any of us… Gabriel found me an apartment… One of his friends is giving it up for rent… You don’t need to worry… I don’t want you to be my nurse 24/7… I understand that it’s difficult for you to forgive me… you don’t need to pretend that you have…” said Cas, but before he could finish, Anna interrupted him.

“I’m not pretending, Cas… when I thought I was going to lose you, everything fell apart around me… I don’t want to spend another minute away from you… These past few days have been torture… Ever since your brother’s wedding I’ve been feeling like crap and you being in a coma only made it a million times worse… I… Cas… I have something to tell you… There’s also another reason that I don’t want us to be separated anymore…” said Anna and then looked down at her stomach and then back up to Castiel’s eyes.

“What’s that, Anna?” Castiel asked, confused.

Then Anna took her husband’s hand and placed it on her tummy.  
“We’re going to be parents, Cas… This is our little miracle…” she said, while Cas was staring with wide eyes at their joined hands on her belly. Well, that was certainly complicating things!


	31. It's Only an Arranged Marriage!

6 days later…

Dean woke up with the first day light. Today was the day that Cas would finally get out of the hospital. After they moved him to New York, Dean hadn’t been able to see him, ‘cause Anna was always there and she wouldn’t let him anywhere near him. Dean didn’t like it one bit, but tried to hide the fact. At least he had his dad and Sammy to keep him company. Michael was always busy and he was always on meetings with his lawyers and God knows with whom else and he wasn’t paying Dean any attention. He would always wake up first, before Dean had the chance to, and he would leave for his company, only to come back late at night, after Dean had gone to bed. Today, however, was an exception. The anxiety of knowing that today Cas would be released from the hospital didn’t let Dean sleep much and he was up before Michael.

Dean opened his eyes and saw Michael sleeping peacefully next to him. It felt odd to see him there. If he didn’t know any better, he would think that all these days he had been sleeping all by himself. Michael was always away during the day and when he came to bed he would always keep his distance from Dean, lying at the very edge of the mattress, so that he wouldn’t have to touch him, during his sleep. Today wasn’t any different. Dean noticed the big space between them, even though, he himself was lying almost in the middle of the bed. This was so frustrating. He felt like the first two days of their marriage, when Michael was distant, after finding out about him and Cas. But what was all this about now? Dean couldn’t understand what the hell was going on. He couldn’t understand if there was something that he did wrong or if it had nothing to do with him and it was just a coincidence. In any case, he didn’t want to miss the chance of talking to Michael again, now that he was here and Dean was awake. And there was also the pressing issue of them visiting Cas now that he would be back at home. They had to go today. Dean had to see Cas. He had to see that he was okay. So, with very hesitant movements, he moved to Michael’s side of the bed and tried to wake up his husband.

“Mmm…” came Michael’s sleepy voice, when he felt someone poking at him.  
“What? Dean? What are you doing?” he asked and then turned his head to look at the digital clock on his nightstand.  
“It’s not even six yet… let me sleep… I’ll be up in an hour for work… I’m tired”, he said and then turned his back to Dean, only to receive a pillow thrown on his head.

“Wake up now…” Dean said, right before he threw the pillow.

“Aou… What the hell, Dean?” Michael turned to look at him, while sitting up on the bed, sleep long forgotten.

“I need to talk to you right now. You’re never here; I haven’t seen or talked to you, since we came back from Washington. Do you realize that this is the first time I see you, since we’ve been back? And that’s only because I woke up before the time I was supposed to… You never call me during the day and when I call you, you never pick up. What time did you get back yesterday?” Dean asked furiously.

Michael just sighed and buried his face in his hands.  
“Two A.M. That’s why I need to sleep now… Dean, if you haven’t noticed, everything is a mess in my company right now. I need to find how deep this conspiracy is going… While you were lying on the couch all these days, I was actually working my ass off, so that I would fix everything…”

“Is that what you think I’ve been doing? Lying around all day? And what about your damn phone? Is it decorative? Or do you have absolutely no time for me, not even a minute? Now I see why you wanted to move Cas to New York so fast; the only thing you care about is your company! Have you even seen how your brother is doing? Or was that also an inconvenience for you and you didn’t have time not even for that?”

“For your information, I know exactly how Cas is doing; I’ve been visiting him every day for an hour or so… I’m not insensitive!” Michael said.

“So, it’s just me you have no time for, then! Have I done something? Why are you treating me like I don’t even exist?” asked Dean.

“Dean… I…”

“What? Do you not want me anymore? Is that it? Did I do something?”

“You’re being ridiculous; of course I still want you… I just… it’s been difficult for me… I… I saw how you were the previous days. How worried you were about Cas… You were distant from me, you were avoiding me… I just wanted to give you some space, since it was clear to me that my touch wasn’t welcome… I… I know you have feelings for my brother, so you can stop denying it. You have refused it in the past, but now… I don’t want to hear it, Dean, because I know that it would be a lie! I’m not blind, okay? Or stupid! And if you want me to act as if everything is okay, I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I have feelings too, and right now all I have to care about, if I don’t want my head to explode, is the company and my brother. I can’t think about you too and how you don’t love me…” Michael said and then turned his head the other way, looking away from Dean.

“I… I won’t lie to you. I do have feelings for Cas… I guess almost losing him made me realize it, but… that doesn’t mean I don’t have feelings for you too… It’s just… I’m confused, okay? It pains me that Anna doesn’t let me see him. It pains me that you don’t want to see me or talk to me. I’ve been left all alone. If it wasn’t for my dad and my brother, I would have gone nuts! Giving me space won’t help our relationship, it will only push us further apart. The more you leave me, the less I care about us… When my father first told me that I was being handed to you to marry, it wasn’t in my intentions to love you or care about you. I knew that it was only a business transaction, if you will. But you turned out to be sensitive and caring and that made me care for you… If that side of yours doesn’t exist anymore, I need to know it, so that I can go back to not caring about you either. I’ll be your obedient omega, if that’s the only thing you want from me now… I mean… why should we trouble ourselves with feelings, if it only makes us feel like crap?”

“What are you saying to me, Dean?” Michael asked.

“You’re a businessman… I think you understand perfectly what I’m saying. I’m asking you, if you want this marriage to be the way it was supposed to… Strict business. You’re already acting like it; so, I’m asking you… Is that how you want me to treat you as well? Leave you alone and just be here to warm your bed? Have your babies? Is that it?”

“I can’t believe you, you know that? You just admitted for the first time that you have feelings for my brother and suddenly, I’m the bad guy, because I gave you space to sort things out. Tell me something, Dean… Would it make you feel better, if I told you that I want us to go back to being in just an arranged marriage without love? Would that help you sleep better at nights, without feeling guilty for having feelings for my own brother? Because then, by all means. It’s clearly what you want, if you’re proposing it…” Michael said and got up from the bed.

“It’s not what I said at all…” started Dean, but before he had a chance to finish, Michael interrupted him.

“You know what, Dean? It doesn’t even matter. I don’t really care. The way I see it, you’ll keep denying it, even though, it’s true… So, I’ll give you the way out you obviously want. You can go back to hating me or whatever it was you felt about me, when we first met. I won’t expect you to love me, which you clearly don’t, anyway… since you love Cas… and don’t you dare deny it. You say that you’re lonely? Then do something with your time. If I’m not wrong, you wanted to be a mechanic; then go be a mechanic. Go work with your dad or whomever you want. I won’t stop you… You wanna go see Cas? By all means, I’ll even give you the address of the apartment Gabe rented for him…”

“Wait, I thought that Cas would stay with Anna… at their place…”

“See? From everything I said, it is the only thing you cared to comment on… No, Cas didn’t want to move back in with Anna. I guess the baby wasn’t a good enough reason to bring them back together… So, there you go. You can visit him whenever the hell you like. They won’t be living together…”

“Michael, don’t do this…”

“Don’t you see, Dean? It’s already been done! The only thing I expect from you is to not embarrass me! You can go wherever the hell you want and do whatever the hell you like, but I don’t want to see it in the papers. I expect you to be home, when I come back at night and always have your phone with you, in case I need to call you for something, when you’re out… You’re expected to be at my side in my public appearances and of course to do your duty as my spouse when I want you to. I don’t expect it to be like making love; it will only be a carnal thing. Do you understand me? I’ll even make us a contract, if that will make you feel safer about what you’re allowed to do and what your freedoms are. I won’t ever say a word to you or ask anything about your day, if you don’t want me to know… I’ll leave it to you to tell me what you wish to tell me… So, there you go. We can go back to being what we were supposed to be… A couple without love. Do you accept my terms?” asked Michael.

“Yeah… I accept…” said Dean and lowered his head.

Michael looked at him in silence for a moment and then spoke.  
“I see… I’ll make sure to have a contract ready by this evening, when I return…” said Michael and left the room, leaving Dean to stare at the door that shut behind him. That was it! It would all be different from now on.


	32. Friends... With Benefits?

It was early in the afternoon and Dean was pacing nervously at his bedroom, until he made up his mind and picked up his phone to call Cas. After everything that had happened with Michael that morning, he was hesitating, because he didn’t know whether Michael was being serious about all that, or if it was just something he said while anger was blurring his mind and therefore, Dean didn’t know if he would get in trouble for going to see Cas. In the end, however, he couldn’t help himself and after three long rings, his phone call was finally answered.

“Cas…” Dean started to say, when he heard that the phone call was answered.

“Try again!” said the voice on the other end of the line.

“Gabriel? Is that you?” Dean asked.

“Bingo! Ten points for you Dean-o! Can I help you with something?”

“Uhm… I… I was just calling Cas to see if he got home alright… Maybe ask him, if I could come see him or something. Is he there with you? Why did you pick up his phone? Is he okay?” asked Dean, panicking towards the end.

“Yeah, of course... Relax! Cassie is fine. He just had to go to the bathroom. And as for your question, he’s gotten home just fine. We arrived about two hours ago. Anything else I can help you with?”

“Well, what I asked you; Can I… can I come see him? Where is his new apartment? Would you mind giving me the address?” asked Dean, hopefully.

“Does Michael know of this? Did he say you could come see Cas?” asked Gabriel, carefully.

“I’m not his fucking property, you know! I can do as I please! And for your information, yes; Michael said that I could see Cas, if I wanted to. Ask him yourself, if you don’t believe me. Now, can I please have the address?”

“Okay, fine! I’ll give it to you, jeez…” said Gabriel and then gave him the address.  
“Does that mean that we should expect you shortly?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a few…” said Dean and hang up the phone.

Gabriel just sighed and then put Cas’ cell phone back down on the coffee table, where it previously was, but before he had a chance to do anything else, he saw Cas coming from the hall and ran to his side to help him.

“Were you just talking on the phone?” Cas asked him, while Gabriel helped him sit on the couch.

“Uh… yeah; I was actually talking on ‘your’ phone…” said Gabriel, sitting next to his brother.

“Oh, yeah? Who was it? Was it Anna?” asked Cas.

“Uh… no… It was Dean”, said Gabriel, watching his brother carefully and waiting for his reaction.

“Oh… I… did he say what he wanted?” asked Cas, while staring at his hands, like they were the most interesting thing in the world.

“Yeah, he asked me if you were home and then asked me for the address, ‘cause he wanted to come see you. He’ll be here shortly…”

“Really? Uhm… I… Do I look okay? Should I perhaps go change my clothes? We need to get those boxes out of the living room…” said Cas, looking around frantically.

“Hey hey, relax, man! I mean, it’s not like Dean is a stranger or anything. Only last week he kept seeing you wearing nothing but a hospital gown. And besides, why do you care so much? I thought you said that you were going to leave this chapter behind you; isn’t that the reason you left New York in the first place? To be away from Dean?”

“Yeah… and look where that got me. I got shot and almost died; and by the way, you still owe me an explanation as to why the hell that happened…” said Cas and Gabriel looked away, avoiding his gaze.  
“And anyway, it’s different now; Dean told me that he loves me…”

“Yeah, he did; when he thought you were dying. And he has no idea that you heard him, anyway…” Gabriel snapped back.

“It doesn’t matter. That doesn’t change the facts; he has finally admitted the truth…”

“Oh, is that why you were so willing to let Anna go? I still can’t believe you told her that you didn’t want to try and be with her again! I mean… what about the child, Cas? Are you just gonna let her raise the baby all by herself?”

“Of course not! Anna and I both agreed that she is to stay here in New York, so that I can be near her and the baby. I won’t abandon my kid. I’m gonna be on his or her side always. Look, I know this isn’t a very traditional thing to do -especially when it comes to our family- and that people are gonna see it as a bad thing, but I swear I’ll be a good dad for my child… I just… It would only be unfair for her, if we got back together. I can’t go back to that life, when my heart is elsewhere; and especially now that I know that these feelings are reciprocated. I would always think, what if and I wouldn’t be able to move on. Anna deserves to find someone who truly loves her and I can’t be that person anymore. So, why should I drag her into this again and make us both miserable, when there’s a better way? Anna said that she understands…”

“Cas… look… I don’t want to see you disappointed again, but I don’t understand how you don’t realize that this is wrong. Even if Anna understands, -which I really doubt that she does, if the way she has been treating Dean is anything to go by- Dean is still married to Michael. You can’t make a move on him…”

“And I’m not going to”, Cas said, earning a curious glance from Gabriel.

“Then why are we talking about all these? What do you mean? What are you planning to do with him?”

“This time I’ll be true to my word; I’ll try and be his friend. I need redemption. I realize that everything that has happened was my fault and my fault alone. Dean never did anything! I dragged him into this mess and made him unhappy; I made a lot of people unhappy. I just… I just want to get to know him, be there for him; help him with everything that he needs. I won’t tell him that I heard him at the hospital; I don’t want to put him in an awkward position. Look… you know I’m in love with him and I can’t take it back, but I’ll be whatever he wants me to be in his life; I know I’ve made mistakes in the past when it comes to him -the top one being having sex with him- but I won’t try anything like that again. I just can’t help but hope that at some point he will see what I see and he will divorce Michael. Only then will I do something about the way I feel. I don’t want to hurt my brother and our family again.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Let’s just hope it stays that way and that you won’t change your mind the moment you see him…” said Gabriel.

“No, I promise that I won’t…” said Cas and Gabriel gave him a small pat on the back.

…Α-Ω…

It was thirty minutes later when the doorbell finally rang. Gabriel shared a look with Cas and then got up and went to open the door.

“Oh, hey Dean-o! You didn't lose any time I see. You must be exhausted from all that running… Catch your breath for a second”, said Gabriel and smirked.

“Seriously, Gabe? Whatever! You really need to work on that humor of yours”, said Dean.

“Touché… Well, don’t just stand there. Come inside”, said Gabriel and stepped aside to let him pass.

“Uhm... I brought these… where should I leave them?” asked Dean, motioning at a box of what seemed to be candies and a potted plant that he was holding at his hands.

“Oh, you bought me candies? Oh, you shouldn’t have... Now, give it here! Leave the plant wherever you want”, said Gabriel and tried to take the box from Dean.

“It’s not for you, it’s for Cas! And it’s not candies… It’s just a blueberry pie that I made for him”, said Dean, blushing, while keeping the box away from Gabriel.

“Did you hear that, Cassie? Dean made you a pie!” said Gabriel and turned to look at Cas with a knowing look on his face, before he turned back to Dean.  
“Well, okay… okay, grumpy! I won’t eat Cas’ pie; Is it just me or did that sound a little weird? Anyway, crazy kids! I think it’s time for me to go…”

“Wait, Gabe… you’re leaving?” asked Cas.

“Well, yeah… I mean, I have a couple of things that I need to take care of and besides, you’re in good hands now. I might come back later and see how you’re doing. Have fun!” said Gabriel and before anyone had a chance to say anything else, he was gone.

There was a moment of awkward silence, but then Dean decided to move.  
“Let me just…” said Dean and after leaving the plant on the floor and the pie on the kitchen counter, he came to sit beside Cas on the couch.

“Hey, Dean! It’s… It’s good to see you”, said Cas, giving him a small smile.

“Yeah, you too, Cas! How are you holding up, buddy? Are you feeling okay? Are you in pain?” asked Dean, concerned.

“Well, there is still some pain, but nothing like before. The doctor prescribed me some painkillers, so I’m doing okay; I’m recovering…”

“I’m sorry that I didn’t come to see you earlier, while you were at the hospital, it’s just…” Dean started to say, but Cas interrupted him.

“No, it’s okay; I understand. I know that you weren’t exactly welcome, while Anna was there. Dean, I really need to apologize about that; It’s just… Anna is still hurt by everything that has happened and…”

“No, I know… I think I’d be the same way, if I was her…”

“Yeah, but still; you didn’t really do anything. If there is someone to blame about all this, it’s me. You’re the last person to blame. I’m sorry…” said Cas and lowered his gaze.

“Don’t be! I’m just as responsible as you are and… I… I really get her, you know? It must be tough to see the person that ruined your marriage, especially when you’re expecting a kid…” said Dean and paused.  
“Wow, that must have been a huge surprise, huh?” asked Dean, faking a smile, while trying to hide the pain and the jealousy from his face and voice.

Cas just eyed him carefully and then spoke.  
“Yeah… it… it really was… surprising. It just… Even before everything, Anna and I weren’t really talking about having kids. We were only married for a year and we just felt too young to be parents yet. But, I guess fate doesn’t really care about age; or ruined marriages for that matter…”

“Yeah, I guess not…” said Dean and paused.

“So…” they both said simultaneously and laughed.

“You can go first”, said Cas.

“I just wanted to say that I like your apartment. It’s really homey, you know?”

“Yeah, it’s nice! I like it. I’m really lucky that Gabe found me this place. It belongs to one of his friends -Garth I think his name was- I mean… it is smaller than my older apartment, but I’m only one person, so it’s perfect for me. Plus the rent is really low, so… yeah…” said Cas and let a sigh escape his lips.

“Well, I agree, it’s perfect! I always wanted a place like this. When I was younger, I used to dream about having an apartment like this, to invite my friends over and have some pizza and beer… watch movies…”

“You can still do that, you know… Michael’s apartment is awesome; It’s huge and it does have a home cinema. There’s plenty of space to have your friends over…”

“Yeah, right! Like I could ever invite my friends over to that place for pizza. First of all, we would all be worried not to stain the couch and the carpets. That place is just so impersonal, you know? It just doesn’t really feel like a home should feel; Like the one I had back in Kansas did, or like this one does. I mean… don’t get me wrong, it’s great and everything, but it’s nothing like my home would look like. It’s just so white and grey and it has this weird art and everything seems so expensive that you’re always concerned not to break anything. You don’t really live it, you know? Plus, what’s it with all that staff? Who needs so many people for cleaning and cooking? Today was a nightmare just to make them let me use the kitchen to make the pie on my own. They were like, ‘No, we can make it for you! You can go relax’, like I was doing anything. At least I’m glad that I won’t have to clean that kitchen. When I finished, it was like a bomb had gone off in there. You should see their faces! I guess they had seen that coming…” said Dean and laughed along with Cas.

“Dean, that is still your home, though. You can make changes, if you want. I don’t think Michael would be opposed to that… I mean, you’re the one that spends most of his time there. You should make it feel like your own. You shouldn’t feel like a stranger inside your own house…”

“Well, as for that… I’m planning not to be in that house so much, anymore…”

“How come? Are you planning to go to college or something?” asked Cas, curiously.

“No, something even better! Michael gave me the okay to find a job, if I wanted one. I called my dad earlier and they seem to need the hands of another mechanic at the auto shop where he’s working now. His boss is going to retire and he’s gonna leave my dad at his place, running things. They were going to hire a new mechanic, but now they’ll get me! It’s gonna be awesome! I miss working on cars with my dad; I used to help him, when I was a kid and I really loved it…”

“That’s really great, Dean. I’m so happy for you…” said Cas and smiled.

“Thanks, Cas… Well? What about you? Any plans for the future?” asked Dean.

“For work, you mean?”

“Yeah, I mean, you did quit from Michael’s company, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I did, but…”

“You changed your mind?” asked Dean.

“I mean… under any different circumstances, I wouldn’t want to go back; even if everything is good between Michael and me now, but… That whole thing with our mother and Lucifer and that Crowley guy… I need to be there and support him. He needs people that he can trust by his side. You know that he had to fire twelve people after all this, ‘cause he found out that they were involved in the sham? Michael and I talked about it and he told me that I could go back, whenever I felt ready and well enough, even if that meant months…”

“Uh… good for you, I guess… If that’s what you really want. But, if it’s not, I don’t think you should have to endure it, just because Michael needs you. As for what’s been going on at his company, I really have no idea; We haven’t been talking much. He’s always at the company at meetings and stuff and I didn’t really get to see him this week, so that we could talk. But I guess that says it all; It must be really crazy up there…” said Dean and rubbed the back of his neck, nervously.

“Is something wrong, Dean? Is everything alright between you and Michael?” asked Cas, concerned.

“Uhm… yeah, everything’s fine… never better”, said Dean and gave Cas a false smile.

“If something was wrong, you would tell me, wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah, Cas… of course!”said Dean and paused.  
“Can I ask you something?” he asked then and Cas nodded.  
“Why didn’t you go and live with Anna? I thought that now that you guys are having a baby, you would get back together. I mean, right before you left for Washington, you told me that you were miserable because of the break up; and Anna seemed more than willing to work things out with you at the hospital.”

Cas considered Dean’s words for a moment and then answered.  
“Yes, it’s true that I was upset because of the break up, but this whole thing between us made me realize that perhaps Anna and I didn’t have such a strong relationship after all, if I let my misguided feelings for you destroy our marriage. If I was truly in love with her, none of this would have happened. I just think that it would be wrong of me to trap us in a relationship that neither of us really wants, just because we’re about to become parents. Anna deserves to find someone who will give everything to her and that will love her to the fullest. She wanted to try, I suppose, for our baby, but… I could still see that she hasn’t forgiven me and that she was struggling to do it; and how could she, really? What I did to her was awful! So, yeah… there is no future for me and Anna. I guess we weren’t meant to be… As for the baby, I won’t be any less of a father just because Anna and I didn’t work things out. I really think that I’ll make a great dad. The more time I had to think about it, the happier it makes me. I’m really looking forward to meet my son or my daughter”, said Cas and smiled warmly.

“That’s great, Cas! If you’re happy, then so am I! And I’m sure you’ll be a great dad…”

“Dean… earlier you mentioned the things I told you right before I left New York and I… I can’t help but recall them too…” said Cas and Dean lowered his head.  
“…I know I said that I needed time away from you, but after the accident… Let’s just say that I see life a little differently now. I don’t want to waste my time away from the people I care about. I… I want us to be friends! You being here right now makes me really happy. I want to be able to do that again with you and you don’t have to worry about anything; I’ll be a real gentleman! I stand by everything else I told you that day… I mean, the part where I said that I overreacted about my feelings. So, you don’t have to worry about that. I won’t try to seduce you or something equally ridiculous. I don’t want that to keep you from coming here…”

“Cas… I… You don’t have to say anything. Those things are in the past now. They would never keep me from seeing you! I… I really want us to be friends too… To be able to come here or meet you somewhere outside…”

“Yeah, that would be nice! Perhaps we will, when I get better…” said Cas and smiled.

“Definitely!” said Dean and smiled back.  
“But since we’re here and you’re still recovering, how about I get you a piece of that pie, huh? I mean… I didn’t ruin the kitchen for nothing… Something tells me that that pie is awesome!” said Dean as he got up from the couch.

“Yes, I’d really like that…” Cas said and smiled up at him.

“Coming right up”, said Dean and winked at him, making Castiel’s stomach fill with butterflies. It was going to be really hard to try and be just friends with him. But he would try it for real this time. He owed him that much.


	33. Everything Falls Into Place

It was late in the evening when Dean finally returned home. He and Cas had spent hours talking and laughing, until Gabriel had come back and then Dean had decided that it was time to go. In those moments with Cas, he had felt like he was a kid again, without the weight of marriage on his shoulders. He couldn’t believe how different his life had been only a couple of months ago, before his father had decided that Dean would have to get married. Spending time with Cas was a reminder of what it felt like to be that careless teenager again, like he still should be. And this was something that never happened anymore, when he was with Michael. Michael was all business and he was always serious and apart from their more intimate moments in bed, he and Dean had never had a conversation like the one Dean had had with Cas or they never had done something simply for fun.

When Dean opened the front door with his key, Hannah was waiting for him at the other side of the door and Dean almost ran into her.  
“Oh, sorry! I didn’t see you there… Is there a reason why you’re standing in front of the door?” asked Dean, after closing the door.

“Forgive me, sir, but I had to warn you… Mr. Novak returned an hour ago and he got pissed when he didn’t find you here. He asked us where you were and when we told him that you had gone to see his brother, he got even madder. He’s in the living room, having a drink. He said that he wanted to see you right away, when you returned”, said Hannah.

“Thank you, Hannah… Don’t worry, I’ll deal with it… You may go…” said Dean and then headed for the living room.

Michael was standing by the window, looking at the view, with a drink in his hand.

“Hey!” was the only thing that Dean said when he entered.

“Oh, you came back? I was starting to think that you were planning to stay over at Cas’ place…” said Michael without looking at him.

“Hannah told me that you wanted to see me… What’s up?”

“I have the document ready for you to sign…” Michael replied, still staring outside the window.

“Oh, so fast? Uhm… So, where is it?”

“On the coffee table… You might want to read it first, before you sign it…”

“Okay…” said Dean, approaching the coffee table.  
“It’s five pages long… what the hell is on this thing?” Dean commented after picking the contract up and looking it over.

“Rules about every aspect of our relationship and marriage… You can spend tonight reading it, if you want, but I must have it signed and ready by morning.”

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Dean asked then.

“I’m leaving for London tomorrow. I have some important business to take care of and I’ll be gone for a month. I want to be done with this, before I leave.”

“You’re leaving? When where you planning on telling me this? I thought there was a crisis at your company. And now you’re just gonna leave?”

“I’m leaving exactly because of it… I need to close some new business deals and I can’t send anyone else… This trip was scheduled even before everything that has happened… The only thing that has changed is that I’m not taking you with me.”

“So, you’ll be gone for a month?”

“That should make you really happy, seeing that you already took advantage of the liberties I gave you this morning… You didn’t waste any time.”

“Whatever…” said Dean and dropped the contract back on the table.

“Don’t neglect this, Dean…” said Michael, turning to face him for the first time.  
“I mean it… I want it ready by tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah… okay… I heard you the first time…” said Dean and paused.  
“So, look… since you’re leaving tomorrow, I might as well inform you now that I got a job at the garage my father is working at and that I’m starting this week. You said that I could get a job, if I wanted it, didn’t you?”

“Yeah… I did… You can do whatever you like, Dean… I’m not gonna tell you no. You’re a grown man…”

“Buuut?” said Dean, interrupting him.

“Nothing… it’s nothing…”

“Come on, you wanted to tell me something…”

“It’s just… no, it’s stupid… You won’t agree to it, anyway…”

“Tell me what’s wrong… What do you want?” Dean asked.

“I was just hoping that perhaps you could fill in for me, while I’m gone… I wanted to give you a proxy, so that you could sign documents in my place during my absence… I don’t want things to be delayed, because of this trip… And uncle Zachariah and Gabriel will be by your side, whenever you need them…”

“I don’t understand… why don’t you just put Zachariah instead? That’s a much more logical solution… I don’t know shit about any of this…” said Dean.

“It’s just easier to give you this power, since we’re married… If you agree to do this, I promise you that it won’t be any difficult… You’ll just have to put some signatures and that’s it… Everything will be studied by the board and our lawyers… You won’t have to do anything else.”

“The same lawyers that made this shit?” asked Dean, pointing at the contract again.  
“Tell me something, Mike… Who wrote this crap? Who knows about what’s been going on between us? I don’t want to go in there and work with the same people that put our marriage on a piece of paper… It’s humiliating…”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Dean… I would never give such a personal task to one of the company’s lawyers… I asked a friend… he’s my personal attorney… You don’t have to worry about meeting him… The only time you might have to meet him is if we file for divorce, a year from now… As you’ll find in the contract, that’s the amount of time you’ll have to be married to me… After that, you can file for divorce, if you want…”

“And what if we decide that we want to divorce sooner than that?”

“If you’re not with child in the first six months of our marriage, we’ll be able to divorce a month after that…”

“Why a month after?”

“We’ll have to visit a psychologist for some time to break our mating bond… What’s the matter? Do you want to get rid of me so badly that you can’t even wait for six more months?” asked Michael.

“No… I’m just saying… It might be something that we’ll both want… It might be you that will want a divorce, I don’t know… You can’t know how things will be in half a year…”

“I know for a fact that it’s not going to be me that will want a divorce…”

“And what about this pregnancy stuff?” asked Dean.

“As you’ll see in the contract, we’ll be obligated to have sex only during your heats in order to conceive… I want a child, Dean… This shouldn’t surprise you… It’s one of the most important reasons why I wanted to marry a male omega… You know what they say about such children… how smart and powerful they are… I want a worthy heir for my fortune…”

“Right… so you just married me for my male omega womb… That’s so romantic…”

“You know very well that it’s not the only reason I married you…”

“Yeah, whatever you say… Don’t worry… I’ll read this thing and sign it… And I’ll call my dad to tell him that I can’t work with him…”

“I’m glad… you made the right choice…”

“Yeah… I’m sure I did…” said Dean, sarcastically.

“Goodnight, Dean…”

“Goodnight…”


	34. Special Agreements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hello there! :-D  
> I finally found the time to write and update again! So, yay!  
> This chapter, however, is a little different from the rest, as I tried to write a big part of Michael's and Dean's Post-Nuptial Agreement in it! I hope the way I threw it in there does not confuse you or bore you! Hehe...! :-P  
> Anyway, enjoy and tell me what you think! XOXO...!!!

FIVE DAYS LATER…

Dean was sitting in Michael’s office –his office, for the time being- with his feet up on the desk and was bored out of his mind, when the door opened almost forcefully, to reveal a pissed off Zachariah.

“Woah… woah… Where’s the fire? You can’t just barge in here…” said, Dean, when he saw the older man and then sat properly at the desk.

“You know what, Dean? I’ve had enough of this supposed authority of yours inside our own company. I don’t know what Michael was thinking and left you in charge instead of me, but it was a huge mistake that we now all have to pay. I’m trying to close deals here and no one is paying any attention to me, because apparently they all want to speak with the man in charge and until Michael gets back, that’s you. Don’t you get how ridiculous that sounds? You? In charge of a company worth of millions of dollars?” Zachariah said, while pacing nervously.

“You know, that’s sort of the point. Michael had to deal with the treachery of a lot of people in the past few days and that’s why he wanted me here, ‘cause I’m someone that he can actually trust”.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You think that I would ever do anything to harm my own nephew’s company? Our family’s company? I’ve showed him nothing but devotion all these years.”

“His own brother and mother tried to rob him of his company, so excuse me, if that sounds harsh. I’m not saying that you ever did anything to harm the company, but this obsession of yours about the chair that I’m currently sitting in, certainly doesn’t help the image of the ‘Good Samaritan’ you’re trying to pass here.”

“You…” Zachariah started to say, while he pointed at Dean with hatred.

“So, was there anything that you actually wanted to tell me, when you got in here? If not, we’re done…” Dean interrupted him.

“Yes, there was and it’s actually the reason that got me pissed. Michael left without selecting a new assistant after Miss Master’s departure and I’ve been interviewing people for the job for the past week or so…” Zachariah said and then sighed with annoyance.

“Go on…” Dean urged him to continue.

“Imagine my frustration when I was informed that I couldn’t even hire the one I selected, before getting your opinion on the matter and then your signature, due to Michael’s orders. Hiring people was always my responsibility… I can’t believe Michael doesn’t even trust me to do what I’ve always done. Not even he ever decided or signed for such things. That has always been my job… And now he wants things to run through you? Please…”

“Well, after the last events, can you really blame him? And besides, this is his personal assistant we’re talking about… Don’t you think that he should have a say in it? And in this case, that I should have a say in it?”

“Whatever… I’ve brought you the resumes of the one I selected and that of his runner up for the position. Look at them over and tell me which one you prefer, so that I can get the contract ready for you to sign. Don’t waste any more time, I can’t keep sharing my secretary with you.”

“Okay, fine… Jeez… I’ll look at them. In fact, wait a moment… I’ll tell you right away…” said Dean and then looked at both of the resumes.  
“Which one did you favor?” he asked then.

“The one of Marv Metatron Armstrong. He is an exceptional candidate with a lot of experience”, Zachariah replied.

“Experience? No wonder… the guy is in his sixties… Are you kidding me?” Dean asked in disbelief.

“I assure you, he is young and competent enough for the position…” Zachariah argued.

“Young? In comparison to what? The moon? And about his resume… this guy is way too qualified for just an assistant’s position… what is that about? He couldn’t find a better job?”

“Well, he is quite the overachiever, but then again, he is only a Beta… Better positions don’t open so easily for them.”

“And what about this other guy… Adam Jacob Milligan, was it? What do you have to tell me about him?”

“Well, he’s in his early twenties with great education and lots of degrees that prove it, but there are two downsides in his case.”

“And what would those downsides be?”

“Well, he doesn’t have any experience and he is also an Omega”, Zachariah answered carefully and waited for Dean’s reaction.

“An Omega? A male Omega? You’re joking, right? Why would you even consider bringing a male Omega as my husband’s assistant?”

“What is the matter, Dean? Are you afraid that Michael might get interested in him?” Zachariah asked and then smirked.

“No, of course not… It’s just common sense that you don’t put an Omega working for an Alpha…” Dean protested.

“And why is that?” Zachariah asked again and continued smirking.

“What about all the other candidates?” Dean asked then, avoiding Zachariah’s question.

“They weren’t good enough.”

“So, what you’re saying is that I have to go either with the grandpa or the Omega?”

“Basically, yeah…”

“You can go… I’ll call you when I’ve made up my mind”, said Dean and buried his face in his hands.

“As you wish…” said Zachariah, pleased with himself and then left.

…Α-Ω…

It had been two hours since Zachariah’s visit and Dean was still feeling uncomfortable about the choice he had to make and honestly, he didn’t know what was worse. Should he go with the old guy, even though he thought he wasn’t the right choice? Or should he go with the Omega and ignore that strange pull in his gut? Those were the thoughts running through his mind, when suddenly he heard a knock on the door and braced himself for Zachariah’s return. When the door was finally opened, however, he saw someone he really wasn’t expecting to see.

“Jo? What are you doing here?” Dean said and immediately got up from his chair to go and greet his friend properly.

“Well, Benny told me everything, after you two spoke on the phone three days ago, but I had to see it with my own eyes. Look at you, Winchester… all suited up. You’re selling this businessman card quite nicely”, Jo said and then gave him a tight hug.

“Oh my god, what are you doing in New York? Are the others here too?” Dean asked expectantly.

“As a matter of fact, we’re all here. The day you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. We came late last night, but we didn’t want to bother you in such hour.”

“So, where are the others? I suppose they weren’t as curious as you to come and see me here?” Dean said and laughed.

“Oh, please… the others were worse… They were dying to see you, but they couldn’t make it. Ash and Charlie are moving their things to their schools’ campus and Benny is working his first shift as the newest bartender of ‘The Mystery Spot’ as we speak.”

“No way… he got a job, already? Wow, I’m so happy that you guys are finally here…” said Dean and hugged Jo again.

“Oh, yeah? And what about you? How is this whole married to a hottie millionaire working out for you?” Jo asked, jokingly, but immediately her smile disappeared, when she noticed Dean stiffen beside her.  
“What’s the matter?” she asked as Dean seemed to be getting lost in his thoughts.

“Nothing… everything is perfectly fine!” Dean said. If only!

…Α-Ω…

FIVE DAYS AGO…

Michael had gone to bed about an hour ago, but Dean was still in the living room, sitting in the armchair by the window, staring outside. The contract was still on the coffee table, screaming to be read and signed, but Dean hadn’t even spared it a glance and had been completely ignoring it since the moment he put it there. Eventually, however, curiosity took the better of him and he decided to look over the whole damn thing and be done with it.

Once he picked it up, the first thing he noticed was the title -‘POST-NUPTIAL AGREEMENT’- written in capital letters, and immediately he sighed and prepared himself for what was coming next.

 

‘POST-NUPTIAL AGREEMENT

This Postnuptial Agreement (“Agreement”) is made September 28, 2014, by and between Michael Charles Novak (Alpha), an adult residing in New York, and Dean Henry Winchester Novak (Omega), an adult residing in New York, in reconsideration of the marriage of the above-named parties. This Agreement shall be effective the moment it is signed by the parties.

RECITALS. This Agreement is made on the basis of the following facts:

1\. The parties are already married and mated and they share an Alpha-Omega bond.

2\. The parties desire to define their rights and responsibilities inside the marriage, such as the obtention of offspring.

3\. The parties desire to define the duration of their marriage and the procedures that shall occur, if they decide to end it.

4\. The parties desire to define their rights and responsibilities regarding property and financial matters to the extent these can be foreseen.

 

AGREEMENT

In reconsideration of the marriage by and between the parties and other valuable consideration as described below, the parties mutually agree to the following:

1\. OBTENTION OF OFFSPRING. The parties are obligated to engage in copulation during the fertile days of each month (the omega’s heat).

\- This part of the agreement can be revised only after a six month period, if the parties have not succeeded to become pregnant.

\- The moment the pregnancy occurs, this part of the agreement immediately stops to be in force.

\- This part of the agreement can be infringed only in two circumstances: a. If the distance between the two parties does not allow it (for example, during a business trip), or b. If one of the two parties is unwell in their health.

2\. SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS. Outside the fertile period, the parties are not required to be sleeping in the same bed or to engage in sexual intercourse.

\- Each party can have their own space as long as it is under the same roof.

\- Again, this part of the agreement can be infringed only due to the circumstances described above, regarding distance and health.

3\. PUBLIC APPEARANCES. During the period in which the marriage is still in force, the Omega is obligated to follow his Alpha and stand by his side in all public appearances.

\- Only the Alpha can give permission to the Omega to not participate in such occasions.

\- In all public appearances that the Omega does participate in, he is obligated to be decorous and not be the cause of any kind of comments and gossip. His stance must only show the love, respect and subjection towards the Alpha and not indicate any other feelings.

4\. ADULTERY. In the occurrence of such event, the consequences differ for each party.

\- IN THE OMEGA’S CASE OF ADULTERY, the consequences will be decided by the Alpha. The Alpha has the right to enforce any kind of punishment that he sees fit upon the Omega (for instance, whipping, food deprivation etc.).

\- The punishment cannot violate the previous parts of the agreement and therefore, it cannot be one of sexual nature. In addition, it cannot be so severe as to cause permanent damage or injury to the Omega.

\- The Alpha has the right to file immediately for divorce, overriding the part of the agreement about the marriage duration that will be examined below.

\- The Alpha will also have the right to get full custody of any born or conceived offspring up to that point.

\- IN THE ALPHA’S CASE OF ADULTERY, the consequences are less serious, considering the fact that the omega has already been unfaithful in the past and has been forgiven.

\- The Omega’s only option in such case is to file for divorce after the passing of the six month period, assuming that there is no pregnancy. Otherwise, the Omega will have to wait for a specified period of time to pass since the moment of the conception to file for divorce. That period will be determined below. In both cases the Alpha will have no choice but to agree and sign the divorce papers.

\- If there is a conceived or born child, the parents will get shared custody. 

5\. OMEGA’S FURTHER RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES. Apart from the above, which affect both parties, there is a list of freedoms and obligations that the Omega will have to follow.

\- OCCUPATION. The Omega has the right to work, wherever he chooses, as long as it does not get in the way of the responsibilities described above and it is placed in New York City. Also, the Omega will have to keep in mind not to harm the Alpha’s image by his choice of occupation. In the case of a pregnancy, if the Alpha sees it as harmful for the baby, the Omega will have to give up his occupation immediately. Moreover, if the Omega ends up working in the Alpha’s company, there will be privileges regarding the financial matters that will be described below. 

\- OUTINGS. The Omega has the right to leave the residence, whenever he chooses during the day, as long as he is back when the Alpha returns to their shared residence. However, he is obligated to inform the staff of where he is going and he is expected to always carry a cell phone with him, so that he can always be reached. He is not obligated to give any kind of report afterwards to the Alpha. During his outings he is expected to act decorously.

\- FRIENDS. The Omega has the right to befriend whomever he likes, but he has the responsibility to introduce them first to the Alpha.

6\. MARRIAGE DURATION. The shortest period of time that the parties are expected to be in this marriage is six months.

\- The only exception of this rule was described above in the part of the agreement about adultery. So, apart from what was discussed before, these are the rules that occur in the case of a mutually agreed divorce:

\- The divorce must be mutually agreed and as it was previously said, it can not happen before the short period of six months.

\- If the parties have conceived offspring during the first three months, the shortest period of time that they are obligated to stay wedded is twelve months, but if the offspring is conceived during the last months of the six month period, they are obligated to stay in this marriage for three more months after the birth of their offspring. When the divorce is finalized, the parties will get shared custody of their offspring. 

\- Before the divorce can be finalized, both parties are expected to set sessions together with a psychologist for the short period of a month, in order to break their Alpha-Omega bond as painlessly as possible. The doctor’s evaluation will be decisive of the safety of such separation. If the doctor decides that it is not safe, then the parties will have to attend more of these sessions.

\- After the divorce is finalized, the Omega is obligated to remain in New York City, if the two parties share an offspring. If not, the Omega is free to live wherever he chooses.

7\. SEPARATE PROPERTY…’

...The agreement kept going and finally, after Dean finished reading this last part -regarding the financial matters- too and finished it all, he noticed Michael’s signature at the bottom of the final page and then, without hesitation, he took the pen Michael had left for him on the coffee table and signed the agreement. There was now no way out of it.

…Α-Ω…

NOW…

“Are you sure? You don’t seem fine to me… I could swear you got depressed, when I asked you…” Jo asked, concerned.

“No, it’s nothing… I just realized how much I miss him… That’s all…” Dean lied.

“Oh, you two are so cute… Don’t worry, honey… He’ll be back before you know it…” Jo said, smiling.

“Yeah, I know… But enough about me… Tell me about you! So, ‘ladybug’? What are your plans?” Dean asked then as they sat on the office’s couch.

“Don’t call me ‘ladybug’! You know I hate that nickname you and Benny gave me… But anyway, if I had to talk about plans, I’d say that finding a job is the first thing I need to do… Other than that, not much…” Jo said and immediately an idea formed in Dean's head.

“About that… I have an idea… Wait a moment…” Dean said and then got up to call Zachariah on the phone.  
“Hey… I have your answer”, Dean said the second Zachariah picked up.

“Oh, yeah? And what is that? Which one did you choose?”

“Neither of them… I chose a completely different person. You need to come by my office to meet her and then get the papers ready… I’ll be waiting”, said Dean and hang up the phone, before Zachariah had a chance to react.

“What was that about?” Jo asked then, confused.

“Well, Jo... since you asked… I just hired you as my husband’s assistant. So, you can erase the ‘find a job’ from your ‘To Do List’”, Dean said and smiled.

There… problem solved! But was it really?


	35. It's Party Time

“Oh, my God! Are you serious? You’re giving me the position of your husband’s assistant? Are you sure that’s cool? I mean, did you ask anyone about it? Are you certain that Michael won’t mind?” Jo asked.

“Yes, I’m sure… so, don’t worry.”

“Yes, but… I don’t know the first thing about being someone’s assistant. I’m sure there are far better candidates for this job than me…”

“Look, Jo… I know you and I know you can handle this… You need a job and we need an assistant. So, why trouble ourselves? Besides, it’s not rocket science! Mostly, you’ll have to answer phones, keep track of appointments and stuff like that. This is my fourth day in the office and I’ve seen what my current assistant has been doing and I think you can do this just fine.”

“And what about her?”

“She’s not actually Michael’s assistant. Adina is Zachariah’s assistant and he’s just sharing her with me for the time being. Look, she’s good at her job and she can train you. Whatever question you have, you can ask her and I’m sure she’ll help you! I’ll tell her myself. Michael won’t be back until next month, so, you have plenty of time to get used to this… I’m sure he’ll be pleased with you.”

“Okay, if you say so… Thank you so much, Dean… for giving me this opportunity! I swear to you that you will not regret this. I’ll work hard and be great at my job”, Jo said and hugged him.

“I know you will, ladybug…” Dean said and smiled.

“Oh, enough with this ladybug crap…” Jo protested, but before either of them could say anything else, they heard a knock on the door.

“Come in…” Dean answered and then Zachariah walked in.

“So, what was that thing you told me about finding someone new for the position?” Zachariah said, narrowing his eyes, when he saw Jo.

“Well, Zachariah… I’d like you to meet my friend Jo… She happened to be looking for a job and I couldn’t find anyone more trustworthy and capable than her for the position. I think she’ll be a great fit here.”

“Are you sure about this? If you are certain, I need to warn you that if Michael is not pleased with her when he gets back from London, I’ll blame you for this choice. I’m done fighting with you over these things… This is all on you…”

“Great! I have no problem with that… You can get the papers ready for Jo and me to sign”, Dean said.

“Okay, fine”, Zachariah said and then turned to Jo.  
“Miss…?”

“Harvelle… My name is Joanna Beth Harvelle”, Jo said.

“Miss Harvelle, you can give my assistant, Adina, your info, so that I can prepare the papers. I’ll have them ready by tomorrow morning. Come to the company at eight sharp to sign and to begin working. Now, if you’ll both excuse me, I have work to do”, Zachariah informed them and then left.

Once Zachariah was gone Dean turned to Jo.  
“This is so awesome! Finally, I’ll have a friendly face in here… Now, hurry and go to Adina and give her your info, so that we can be done with this. Afterwards, we’re heading out for lunch to celebrate.”

“Not so fast, Winchester… I’ll give her my info alright, but this lunch won’t be a celebratory one. We have a lot of things to catch up to, you and me… I need to know everything that has happened before the others. The real celebration is tonight at our place. It’s one of the main reasons I came to see you… Everyone is thrilled to see you again and we’re having a party!”

“Okay, whatever you say… You know I can never say no to you, ladybug…” Dean said and laughed.

“Oh, enough!” Jo protested, but started laughing too.

…Α-Ω…

The day had passed quickly after that. Jo and Dean had headed out for lunch and they were gone for like three hours. Jo couldn’t believe everything that Dean had to tell her. All those things about his feelings for Cas and about how he thought that he was actually his true mate… The admission of being unfaithful to Michael… The story about that jerk who tried to proposition him… The discovery about Cas being the son of his mother’s murderer… That man’s death and Cas’ accident… The loss of his memory and the fact that he didn’t know the truth about this… How he had started spending time with Cas and occasionally his brother, Gabriel, once Michael left for London…The only thing he decided not to tell her was the agreement he and Michael had signed, because he knew that Jo would get pissed with the Alpha and that she wouldn’t want to work with him then. So, it was better not to tell her. Besides, he didn’t know how his friends would react to that, if they knew. That was something he thought was better to keep between Michael and himself.

After lunch, Jo had left Dean to go and get hers and Benny’s apartment ready for the party and Dean had headed back to the company, where he spent at least three more hours. All it had taken for him to start getting ready was a call from Benny, in which his friend had very politely asked him to get his butt immediately to the party. 

So, he was on his way out of his office when he ran into Gabriel.  
“Whoah… man, watch where you’re going!” Gabriel said the moment Dean collided with him.

“Sorry, Gabe… I didn’t see you… I’m running late for this thing and I was in a hurry…” Dean said.

“Oh? Are you meeting with your dad and your brother or something?” Gabriel asked.

“Uh… no. My friends came from Kansas yesterday to stay permanently here in New York and they’re having a party at their place…” Dean replied.

“Oh… I see… Too bad… I wanted to ask you if you wanted to have dinner with Cas and me… I was working all day and I didn’t have any time to go and see him and he’s been alone all day… But, I will have to do! Go and have some fun with your friends. God knows you deserve it, with everything that has happened to you lately.”

“Wait… I… I don’t feel good about leaving Cas alone… I totally forgot to call him today, with my friend Jo visiting and everything…”

“Don’t worry, Dean… Cas will understand. I’ll tell him you said hi!”

“Wait! How is he doing? Is he any better? I’ve talked to him, but I haven’t actually seen him for two days now. Is he still in pain?” Dean asked, concerned.

“He’s better… The doctor actually recommended that he starts taking short walks and I took him out of the apartment yesterday for the first time… It was just around the block in a very slow pace, but I could see that he’s getting stronger.”

“Do you think, maybe… he’s up for a party? I won’t have fun knowing that I left him alone again… Perhaps you guys could come… We’ll order pizza or something and when he gets tired he can lie down…” Dean suggested.

“I don’t know, Dean… A party?” Gabriel hesitated.

“It’s not so much of a party as it is a small gathering, really. It’s just four of my friends… You actually met them at the wedding… They could have a couple more people, but I swear that’s it… Nothing wild… So, do you think you can ask Cas if he’s up for it?” Dean asked expectantly.

“I don’t know…”

“Think about it… I’ll text you the address and you can decide whether you want to come or not… I’d really like to see Cas… But if he’s not well enough for this, then give him my best and tell him that I’ll definitely see him tomorrow… Okay?”

“Yeah… okay. I’ll ask him and I’ll text you. Now, go to your friends… Don’t keep them waiting.”

“Thanks, Gabe… I really hope that you and Cas can come…See ya!”

“Bye, Dean!”

…Α-Ω…

It’s needless to say that when Dean arrived at his friends’ apartment, they all went crazy. They all started hugging him and telling him how much they missed him. This night was definitely one of the best things that had happened in Dean’s life during the last few weeks, since he got married, and Dean was ecstatic to see his friends again. But the truth is that he got really happy, only when Gabe texted him that he was bringing Cas over. So, it was understandable why he ran to answer the door, when he heard the doorbell ring, earning meaningful glances and smiles from his friends.

“Cas? I can’t believe you made it… Come on in…” Dean said, urging both the brothers inside.  
“Gabe… thanks, man!” he then said, turning his attention to Gabriel.

“Don’t mention it…” Gabriel replied and smiled at him.

“Everyone, these are Cas and Gabriel…”

“Hey, guys…” they all said in unison.

“Come sit, buddy”, Dean said to Cas and then led him to the couch.  
“So, I’d like you to meet my best friend Benny…, Jo…, Charlie and Ash…”

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you, everyone…” Cas spoke truthfully, while smiling at them.

“Yeah… same here…” Gabriel told them also, while sitting at Cas’ other side on the couch. 

“Oh, is that right, Winchester? Benny is your only best friend?” Charlie asked then, while pouting at him. Dean couldn’t help but smile at her reaction.

“You know you have a special place in my heart too, Charlie… Don’t be like that!”

“Whatever…” Charlie said but then she winked at him. It was her way of saying she was just kidding.

“So, are we all here, then? Can we order some pizzas? I’m starving!” Benny complained.

“Actually, we’re waiting for one more…” Ash said, earning his friends’ interested glances.

“Who?” Jo asked, more confused than all of them.

“This guy I met today at campus. He was really nice and very smart! You know that’s kind of my thing! He helped me with my stuff and we hit it off. He’s post graduate and he gave an interview a few days back at some company for a job he really wanted, ‘cause he’s struggling financially with school and everything… So, when he was with me, he got a call and he was informed that the position had been filled. He got bummed, so I told him about the party and invited him. You’ll see, he’s very nice… I think you’ll all like him.”

“Ash, be careful… I think you started drooling…” Benny said, making everybody laugh and earning a death glare from Ash.  
“And since when are you into male betas, anyway? I always see you running after omega and beta girls. I never thought they were your type…” Benny went on.

“That’s because they’re not. Adam is an omega… He’s the first one I meet apart from Dean. He’s really sweet and he smells incredibly!” Ash replied, while blushing.

“Adam? Did you just say his name is Adam?” Dean asked, getting pale in the face.

“Yes, Dean… Why?” Ash asked him back, confused. Dean’s reaction seemed strange to all of his friends.

“Not Adam Milligan, right?” Dean went on.

“Yeah, that’s his name… How do you know him?” That got everyone’s attention and especially Castiel’s and Gabriel’s.

“I know him, because I’m the one who rejected him and gave the job to Jo”, Dean answered and understanding flashed in everyone's eyes.

“Oh, my God… He’s gonna hate me. I took his job”, Jo hurried to say and sighed.

“So, let me get this straight… Adam applied for the position of Michael’s assistant? Isn’t that the company’s position we’re talking about? No wonder why you rejected him… You didn’t like the competition Dean-o?” Gabriel asked, while smirking. Cas just looked down at his lap and sighed at his brother’s comment.

“No, it’s not like that…” Dean protested.  
“He wasn’t even the first choice… Zachariah wanted me to hire this old guy in his sixties and of course when I heard Jo was looking for a job, I offered her the position. Adam was like in the top five…” Dean lied about the last part. In reality, he didn’t know why the idea of Adam working with Michael had bothered him so much, but he wasn’t going to talk about it now and most importantly with Gabriel.

“It’s alright, Dean… You don’t have to apologize for not picking Adam… I’m sure he’ll find another job… Don’t worry. Like you said, there were others who had applied also. You could have chosen whichever, but you preferred to help your friend. That’s admirable”, Cas said and smiled at him. It always took one good word from Cas to make him feel better. At that moment, Dean was happy that Cas was with him and it showed at the way he was looking at him. He felt lucky he had him in his life, even if it wasn’t in the way he wanted. For a few seconds, both Cas and Dean seemed lost in each other’s eyes, but then reality kicked in and they averted their glances away from each other. That small exchange between them, however, didn’t go unnoticed by Dean’s best friend.

While they waited for Adam, they all engaged in conversation, getting to know the new members of the group, catching up with each other and sharing stories that soon made them all burst with laughter again. Dean was glad to see that Cas and Gabriel were quickly becoming part of the gang and he couldn’t help but feel a little proud about that. At last, the two parts of his life, the old and the new, were starting to connect. For him it was a blessing. What he liked the most, though, was the fact that his friends seemed to like Cas a lot and that Cas seemed to like them back. So, it wasn’t really his fault if he kept looking at Cas adoringly in occasions. 

And this was one of those occasions, when Cas spoke while Dean was looking at him, but Dean was too lost in his thoughts to understand what he had asked.

“It’s right down the hall, brother…” Benny answered instead.

“Thank you…” Cas told him and got up from the couch.

Once Cas left the room, Benny looked at Dean with what Dean knew was his ‘we need to talk’ look.  
“Can you help me get some glasses, brother?” Benny asked in pretense.

“Uh, yeah… sure”, Dean obliged and followed him in the kitchen.

“You didn’t really want to get glasses, did you?” Dean asked him, the moment they were alone. Benny just leaned on the island and sighed deeply.

“No, I did want to get glasses, but it’s not why I asked you to come…” Benny replied and watched as Dean’s posture changed. He could see that Dean was nervous and that he wanted to avoid this conversation. “Dean, Jo and I spoke earlier and she told me about the talk you two had today at lunch. She told me about the way you feel about Cas… About how you think he might be your true mate…”

“I never said he might be… I know he is… Every fiber of my being is telling me so”, Dean said, avoiding to look at Benny.

“And what are you doing about it?” Benny asked, surprising Dean.

“What am I supposed to do about it? I’m married.”

“Dean, look… I know I’m one of those who encouraged you to go through with this wedding and told you that if you tried, you could learn to love Michael. But seeing you with Cas, today for the first time… I don’t think any of that matters anymore… Even if Jo hadn’t told me anything, I know you and I could see how you feel about him… It was written all over your face whenever you were looking at him and he was looking at you the same way.” 

Dean just dropped himself on a kitchen chair and buried his face in his hands, while taking a few calming breaths, before he could speak again.  
“Benny, he’s my husband’s brother… What do you want me to do? Don’t you see how fucked up that is?”

Benny walked towards him then and joined him, sitting on a chair next to him at the table, while getting hold of his right hand.  
“Before today…” he started saying,  
“…the only time I ever saw Cas was at your wedding. I didn’t know the guy… I’d never seen you two together. It was the first time I was seeing him and he was drunk as hell. He was saying things that, at the time, made absolutely no sense to me. I remember looking at you to figure what the hell this guy was going on about… But your face gave me no answer. You were frozen in place, watching in horror as the words were coming out of his mouth. Just horror… Your face didn’t mirror his pained one… So, I just thought that maybe the guy was delirious. I had seen you with Michael earlier… How attentive he was of you, how you were clinging to him for protection and I thought to myself, ‘there’s no way that what this guy said is true’…”

“Makes sense…” Dean interrupted him.  
“I was in denial then. Plus, Michael had been very good to me and I cared about him a lot. I couldn’t accept that I had such strong feelings for someone that I barely knew. I couldn’t accept that this marriage was doomed from the beginning”, Dean finished and Benny tightened his hold on his friend’s hand.

“Dean, don’t be afraid… Don’t be afraid to go after what you really want. What makes you happy. If it’s Cas, then screw it. Who cares if he’s your husband’s brother? Fight for what you want… Leave Michael’s sorry ass and go live with your love… I know that being an Omega doesn’t define you. You were always strong and you always had the will of an Alpha… Omegas are not like that, but you are… Stop overthinking this… I want to see you happy for real. You deserve this… And Cas is a good guy… he deserves it too. You two are much alike. You’re like two pieces of a puzzle that connect. On the other hand, you and Michael are like two pieces of completely different puzzles.”

Dean just drew his hand out of Benny’s grasp then and sighed deeply.  
“It’s not that easy, Benny… You don’t understand… You don’t know everything.”

“All I need to know is what I see with my own eyes. What are you so worried about? Your father’s reaction?” Benny asked him.

“As much as this may surprise you, my father’s reaction is the least of my worries…”

“Then, what is it that’s holding you back? Please don’t tell me that you’re pregnant!” Benny said in feigned horror.

“No, god no! But that doesn’t mean that it won’t happen…” Dean said, avoiding Benny’s stare.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you guys trying to conceive?”

“Well, we will… when he comes back from London…” Dean said and started playing nervously with his hands.

“And whose idea was that? His of course… You don’t seem like you’re anywhere near ready to become a parent. So… I have a solution for you. Leave him before he comes back…”

“I can’t do that…” Dean said.

“Why? What’s stopping you? It’s the perfect opportunity. Get your things out of the house now that he’s missing and get a lawyer…”

Benny’s ignorant words made Dean start thinking that perhaps there was a reason why Michael chose to make the agreement so fast. He wanted to be sure that Dean would be still there, when he came back from London. He didn’t want to risk leaving for a whole month without some kind of insurance.

“Benny, it’s complicated… I can’t…”Dean said.

“Tell me something… do you have feelings for him too?” Benny asked him then. In his mind this was the only reason why his friend could be struggling with this so much.

“I… I don’t know… Yes?” Dean answered in a way that sounded more like a question.  
“Sometimes I feel I do and sometimes I don’t… And when I think I’ve made up my mind, I get jealous again…” Dean replied frustrated.

“Are we talking about the Adam thing? Did you get jealous thinking of another male omega working with him? Is that why you hired Jo instead?” Benny asked.

“Oh, don’t do this, Benny… I… you know I didn’t hire Jo just for that… But… Yes, okay? I got jealous! I think that Zachariah gave me that resume only to get on my nerves and he succeeded. I know this is selfish but, I don’t like the idea of Michael with someone else… even though I have feelings for Cas.” Dean said and then dropped his head on the table.

“It’s understandable, brother. No one likes it, when someone else takes something that’s supposed to be theirs…”

“Yes, but I don’t own him, Benny… He’s not a thing… I don’t know why I’m getting so possessive over him.”

“Well, he does bear your mark! I mean, that feels a little like ownership. That’s what this whole marking thing is about. You marked Michael, even though he is the Alpha and you’re the Omega. You were the one that was supposed to bear his mark, but you bit him back, too. You might have unintentionally strengthened your bond”, Benny explained, while Dean was looking at him confused.

“You really think that’s possible?” he asked then.

“It could be! But in any case, Michael is your husband and he’s been good to you from what I gather… Damn, he even forgave you when you cheated on him with his brother. If I were him, I’d never forgive such a thing!”

“I know… I don’t think I would either…” Dean said and lowered his head shamefully.

“Dean, you need to weigh your options here… You understand that you can’t have them both, right? Figure out which one you love the most. They’re brothers, don’t make them fight over you…” Benny said and then gave a small pat on Dean’s back. Suddenly, there was a lot of noise in the living room.

“Looks like our guest has arrived… Are you ready to meet this other Omega dude?” Benny asked then, standing up.

“No, but I’ll live…” Dean answered and then followed Benny to the living area, after taking some glasses from the counter, like his friend also did. This encounter should be interesting!


	36. The New Omega

When Dean and Benny walked back into the living room, they found their friends greeting Adam, the Omega that Ash had invited. Benny didn’t lose any time and soon enough, he joined the others. That moment, while seeing everyone around Adam, Dean realized something he had never realized before. They were all kind of circling and smelling him, like they were drawn to him and this behavior seemed very strange to Dean at first. Thinking back in time, however, he remembered that when he had first presented, his friends had had the same reaction to him as well. The girls that were a Beta and an Omega, hadn’t been showing it so much, if not at all, but Ash and Benny that were both Alphas, used to have difficulty keeping their inner Alpha at bay. In time, they had gotten used to his new smell and had stopped acting so weirdly, returning to their old friendly behavior, but Dean could still sense it sometimes.

Dean was so lost in those thoughts that he didn’t realize it, when Cas came behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
“Hey, you seem troubled…” Cas commented, while tilting his head to the side in a confused way.

“Oh, hey, Cas… I didn’t see you there. I guess I just spaced out for a second. Are you okay? This isn’t too much for you, is it?” Dean asked, after he turned to look at him.

“No, I’m okay… Thank you for inviting me. I really needed a change of scenery and your friends are very nice and welcoming. I like them…” Cas answered truthfully and smiled.

“Yeah, they’re the best. I’m glad you like them, Cas. It means a lot to me that you get along with them, ‘cause you’re all really important people in my life”, Dean said, while returning the smile.

“Did you say hello to Adam?” Cas asked then, out of the blue.

“Uh, no… I didn’t have the chance yet, but he seems to be preoccupied with everyone else, so… I’ll just meet him later. You can go, if you want… I actually wanted to go get some air, out at the balcony… It’s a little hot in here.” Cas couldn’t help but notice that Dean was acting a little uneasy.

“I’ll come with you… I already greeted Adam, anyway. We haven’t really had the chance to talk tonight… Just the two of us.”

“Oh, sure… you’re more than welcome to join me, if you want…” Dean told him and then led him to the balcony.

…Α-Ω…

Once they were outside, Dean went to lean on the handrail and then fixed his gaze down at the street, while Cas moved next to him, mimicking his actions, without saying a word. He thought that he should give Dean some space. If he wanted, he’d tell him whatever it was that was so obviously bothering him.

“Sorry that I didn’t call you, today… It’s just that Jo came by the office and we got a little carried away... I totally forgot to call and see how you were doing”, Dean said after a few minutes, breaking the silence.

“It’s okay, Dean… You’re not obligated to call me, everyday… I get that you have other things to do as well… I’m just glad that you care enough to call me or come see me once in a while”, Cas answered, while turning to face him.

“Yeah, but still… Gabe told me that you were alone all day. I felt bad… I don’t want you to feel lonely…” Dean said, looking apologetically at him.

“Don’t worry about it… I actually got to finish a book that I’ve been meaning to read for a while. I didn’t feel lonely… Sometimes, I like to spend a few hours by myself… It’s refreshing!”

“Are you sure?” Dean asked like he didn’t believe him.

“Yes, I’m sure…” Cas smiled. It was nice to know that Dean cared about him so much.  
“So, what about you? Have you talked at all with Michael? How is he doing?”

Dean was surprised to hear that question. He hadn’t thought about the fact that Michael still hadn’t tried to communicate with him.  
“Uhm, yeah… he’s fine… You know, working and stuff…” Dean preferred to lie.

“Right…” Cas muttered, sensing Dean’s hesitation, but let it go.  
“So, do you like it at the office?” he asked instead.

“Sure, bossing Zachariah around has its perks.”

“Haha… yeah, I suppose it must feel nice.” Cas said, while he grinned at him. That laugh and that smile made Dean’s heart warm.  
“Do you regret going there, instead of working at the garage with your father?” Cas asked then.

“No, man… It’s cool. I don’t mind! Besides, dad said that they could wait for me for a month, if I wanted to go when Michael returned. So, I can always go when he gets back…” Cas nodded in understanding.  
“Did the doctor say, when you could lose the stitches?” Dean asked, changing the subject.

“In a week or so…”

“Does that mean that you’ll be coming back to work, soon?” Dean asked expectantly.

“Yeah, I’ll probably be there in a couple of weeks… Why? Did you get sick of Zachariah, already? I don’t understand the reason. He’s such a pleasant person…” Cas said and laughed again, making Dean laugh as well.

“Dean…” Cas started, hesitating to ask.  
“Do you still feel bad about Adam? Is that why you chose not to greet him earlier and you came here?” he finally said.

“Uh… you caught that, huh? I thought I was being subtle about it…” Dean admitted.  
“It’s not that… I just… I felt a little weird and I needed to get out…”

“Weird? How?” Cas asked and tilted his head in that confused way Dean had noticed the Alpha did quite often.

“It made me realize some things about us, Omegas… Being on the outside helped me notice the other people’s reactions to us… He became the center of attention the moment he walked in and not just because he was the new guy that they all ran to meet… I saw them smelling him and reacting to his smell, being drawn to him… It made me feel…”

“Jealous?” Cas finished for him.

“I… I don’t know… Weird… Maybe a little jealous, yeah, but… I had never really realized it before, but I guess… I always was the center of attention, when it came to my friends and seeing that attention shifting so easily... It made me feel uneasy. No one even noticed that I left the room. We’ve been gone for like twenty minutes now and no one has come out to look for us… And this was supposed to be the night of our reunion... I haven't seen them for what it feels like forever. I’m actually surprised that you’re out here with me and not with them… How come the new guy didn’t catch your attention?”

“I’ve never really met another Omega besides you, but I guess that it makes sense that his Omega charms wouldn’t work on me…” Cas said, while lowering his head and looking down at the street.

“Why is that?” Dean asked, interested, watching Cas intently.

“Well, my inner Alpha has already found his true mate, so… it would be pointless searching for another…” Cas admitted, still looking away.

“Oh… I…” Dean tried to say anything, but felt too awkward to do so. Instead, he started looking at the floor and his shoes, while blushing furiously.

“Please, Dean… forget I said that… Actually, I apologize. I shouldn’t bring it up…” Cas said, after he turned to face him.

“Is it really why you think you weren’t drawn to Adam?” Dean asked, meeting his gaze.

“I don’t know… I’ve heard that Omegas and especially the male ones have this special charm. Their smell affects unmated people, especially Alphas… The Alphas are usually affected even if they are mated, but maybe not as much as they would be, if they were unmated. It’s only those who have found their true mate that seem completely unaffected by one’s charms… Or so they say… And true mates happen only between Alphas and Omegas, so… this would mean that the Alpha had already found the Omega compatible to him or her -it could be either- so, the smell of the new Omega wouldn’t mean anything to them.”

“You weren’t affected by him…” Dean repeated, more to himself.

“Well, I am mated with Anna… It could be that…” Cas said, trying to avoid saying what he had already admitted.

“You were affected by me… and I’m an Omega…” Dean concluded, while looking at Cas with sorrowful eyes. He felt like he couldn’t avoid the truth anymore.

Cas mirrored his expression, while he was looking at Dean in the eyes. The way those blue orbs were fixed on his green ones, left him no choice and Dean leaned in to claim Cas’ lips in a kiss, but before their lips had the chance to touch, Charlie appeared at the balcony’s door, in search for them, and when they sensed her, they both drew backwards like they were burned by fire.

“Oh, sorry… I hope I didn’t interrupt anything… It’s just you were gone for a long time and we became worried. We were wondering where you had gone to… Adam really wants to meet you, Dean… We’ve told him so much about you. So, are you coming or…” Charlie said, pointing inside, but Dean hurried to finish her sentence.

“We’re coming… Cas and I were just getting some air… Right, Cas?” Dean said, failing to hide the blush on his cheeks and turning to Cas for help towards the end.

“Oh, yeah… totally… It was just too hot in there. But we’re good now.”

“Oh, great! Uhm… a little heads up… Jo felt guilty and told Adam about what went on today with the position at the company and everything… But Adam was really cool about it and actually laughed at how apologetic she was about such a silly thing… So, no worries!” Charlie informed them.

“Great!” Dean feigned enthusiasm and relief, which only Cas caught on and tried to hide a snicker. Then, they both followed Charlie back inside the house.

…Α-Ω…

Once they were back inside, Dean and Cas noticed everyone sitting in the living room, with opened pizza boxes in the center, in front of them, on the coffee table. Apparently, they had delivered food already, without even asking them what they wanted. Dean just hoped that Cas liked their choices. He didn’t really care about himself. He wasn’t even hungry and besides his friends knew what he liked. Probably Gabriel knew what Cas liked, too.

As they moved closer to them, everyone’s gaze fell on them and then Charlie spoke.  
“Look, who I found… They were just getting some air”, she said, smiling.  
“Adam, I don’t believe you’ve met Dean…” she went on, motioning at Dean.

“Oh, yeah… the guy who rejected me, right?” he said, smirking.  
“I’m just messing with you, man… It’s good to meet you… Your friends won’t shut up about you. It sounds like they love you very much. You must be something really special”, Adam said, while taking Dean’s hand in a handshake.

“Yeah, well… we’ve only known each other since kindergarten… I most certainly hope so… It’s nice meeting you too, Adam”, Dean said returning the handshake and then moved to sit with the others, next to Benny.

Cas sat next to Gabriel, somewhere on his left, while Adam sat opposite him, next to Ash.  
“Cassie, I ordered your favorite one with the barbeque sauce. It’s what you wanted, right?” Gabriel asked his brother then.

“Yeah, it’s fine… Thanks, Gabe!”

“Damn it! I forgot to order a pizza without mushrooms and peppers for Dean”, Benny suddenly realized. 

‘So much for remembering what I like’, Dean thought. Perhaps they were too preoccupied with Adam to remember.  
“It’s fine, Benny… I can just remove them. Don’t worry about it”, he said, without showing any trace of the venom in his thoughts.

“So, Dean? How does it feel for an Omega like you, without any further education after high school, to be the head of a millions of dollars’ worth company?” Adam asked in a joking way.

Dean didn’t really like his attitude. And he wasn’t fooled by his smiles.  
“I’m not the head of anything except my body… It’s my husband’s company. Cas and Gabriel, here, who are Michael’s brothers, have more shares and power in the company than me, which is none. They’re the ones you should be asking that question to. Like you said, I just finished high school… I’d never have the skills to work in a place like that, with my current education level”, Dean retorted. Everyone could feel the change of the atmosphere and they were looking nervously at each other.

“No, no… that’s alright! I just wanted an Omega’s perspective on the subject. Not to learn how it feels for an Alpha, which is the natural thing, to run a company…” Adam said, still smiling and then he went on.  
“But you lied about two things here. First, you lied when you said you have no power at the company. It seems to me that you have the power of hiring people of your own choosing and second… you lied about not being able to work in a place like that, with just a high school diploma and just ‘today’, you hired your friend Jo, over here…” Adam said, pointing at Jo, “a girl, who has the exact same education level as you. And not only that, you picked her over people with college degrees, masters… I don’t know what else. How do you explain that?” he finished and gave Dean a full grin.

Benny could feel Dean boiling next to him.  
“I’m sorry, is there a reason why we’re having this conversation? I thought you said you were cool with not being picked for the position. Is there any reason why I should answer that? So, yeah… I chose my friend Jo to be my husband’s assistant, sue me… It’s a position that requires a trustworthy person and not someone with diplomas on their walls. I didn’t pick her to be the CEO or the manager. If Michael was here, I would have asked him to hire her and he would have said yes, anyway, because he trusts my judgment. And still, I would have nothing to do with the company. But even if it wasn’t her, you still wouldn’t have been chosen for the position. Zachariah, who handles these things, had already chosen someone else, better than you”, Dean finished, feeling smug for his retort. What the hell was this guy trying to do? Pick a fight in a place full of people that would take Dean’s side in a heartbeat? Who the hell did he think he was? His friends remained silent for now, however, feeling that Dean could defend himself just fine.

“And yet you chose someone worse… No offense, Jo” Adam added.

“None taken…” Jo said, trembling. That guy had made her feel like she was dirt, but she wasn’t about to throw oil in the fire.

“Watch your tongue. That’s my friend you’re talking to”, Dean said, starting to get really angry. This guy could tell him whatever the hell he wanted, but he wasn’t going to let him talk bad to his friends.

“Guys… guys… I think we should all calm down and just eat”, said Gabriel in an attempt to stop the oncoming fight.

“I’m calm… I’m just making conversation”, Adam retorted and took a bite of his pizza. Dean just glared daggers at him.

“So, Adam…” Benny started, trying to change the subject and clear the fog that had fallen over and around them.  
“Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself, so that Dean and Cas can hear, since they weren’t here before?”

“Oh, well… I’m from Windom, Minnesota… My parents’ names are John and Kate Milligan. I’m 21 years old… actually had my birthday four days ago… I finished high school with honors and attended the University of Wisconsin, on a full scholarship, majoring in business, and now I’m trying to get my Master Degree in Global Finance, here in NYU. But, of course to do that, I need to be able to pay for it and the money my parents send me every month aren’t really gonna cut it, so… I’m kind of in desperate need of getting a job without being rejected for once, because of biology… Because I’m an OMEGA!” Adam screamed the last part and got up from his seat on the couch.  
“Tell me something, Dean… isn’t that why you rejected me? Because I’m a God damn male Omega?” Adam asked in an accusatory tone, while pointing at Dean.  
“You know what? You don’t even have to answer me that, because I know I’m right! That’s the reason everyone else has rejected me so far… But at least I would expect that someone who knows what it feels like to be a male Omega would understand and that he wouldn’t hold it against me. But what am I saying? Life has treated you like you were royal. You got to go to no college, have absolutely no education and then end up married to the most rich, powerful and handsome bachelor in the whole US, living at his huge penthouse, bossing people around all day, and all of it because your dad was smart enough to advertise the fact that his son had a hole eager to be filled by a large knot!” Adam was now screaming, completely out of control, with everyone around him frozen in place by his accusations. Dean’s face white as a paper.

“Oh, please… Don’t act so surprised. You thought that it wouldn’t get out? That people wouldn’t find out what a sham this marriage was? Michael Novak should have been more careful shutting people up, if he didn’t want everyone to know that he bought his whore. One of your suitors went public and said that your father sent him a picture of you and your info for your hand in marriage and that the honorable Mr. Novak paid him to back down, ‘cause he wanted your virgin hole just for himself… What? Aren’t you going to deny anything? Is that how shameless you are?” Adam snapped. 

There were now tears streaming down Dean’s face and Benny had taken him in his arms, trying to calm him down. Then, slowly but with certainty, Cas got up and spoke in his gravelly voice.  
“I think you need to leave right now, before I rip your throat out with my bare teeth!” he said in the most menacing way he could achieve.

“Oh… so, the boyfriend speaks… Oh, yeah… I know all about you as well. That show at the wedding, admitting in front of everyone that you have the hots for our little Omega here, after he was fucked in front of everyone by your own brother! How could you expect that something like that would ever stay hidden, when there were so many guests? What were you doing at the balcony, earlier? Fucking? It wouldn’t surprise me, if you were sharing him with the third brother as well…” Adam said and pointed at Gabriel.  
“Both of you have no shame!” screamed Adam and what he received was a hard slap from Cas for his trouble, who in turn caused Gabriel to take hold of him and restrain him, fearing not for that shithole of an Omega but for his brother’s health.

“You will pay for this…” Adam cried out, tears filling his own eyes.

“Get the hell out of my house!” Jo said then, finding her voice again.

“Adam, you need to leave, man… I don’t know from what crazy hole you crawled out from and I don’t know how I didn’t see it before and brought you here, but you’re way out of line and I don’t want to see you ever again”, Ash said, while pushing him towards the exit. Gabriel and now Charlie too, were still trying to restrain Cas from attacking the bastard, when at the same time Jo and Benny were trying to calm Dean down.

…Α-Ω…

Ash finally managed to get rid of Adam and throw him not only out of the apartment but also out of the building, alarming the neighbors with all of the noise. When he got back upstairs, he found everyone in the living room, looking like someone had killed their cat in front of their eyes. Everyone but Benny and Dean.

“Where’s Dean? How is he?” Ash asked, with eyes full of remorse. He couldn’t help but feel that this was all his fault for bringing Adam there, in what was supposed to be a reunion night between old friends.

“Benny took him in his bedroom to lie down. He is trying to calm him… Maybe give him some pills to sleep, I don’t know… Oh my God, I’m so shaken up, right now. Who the hell was this dude?” Charlie said and then buried her face in her hands.

“A freak, obviously… He must have been obsessing over this for a while now, ‘cause there’s no way he found about all that in a day or two… I’m sure that that’s the only reason he even applied for the job… He thought that maybe Michael would pick him the same way he decided to marry Dean. He was a sicko… I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew that Ash was his friend and tried to get close to him for that reason alone. To get to Dean…” Gabriel said, while pacing the room.

“You should have let me kill him…” Cas muttered, still in anger.

“Relax, Cassie… That wouldn’t be of any help”, Gabriel retorted.

“He made Dean miserable… He basically called him a paid whore…” Cas said, with tears in his eyes.

“I know, buddy… but we all know that that’s not truth and Dean will see it too and he’ll get over what that jerk told him…” Gabriel tried to calm his brother and then started rubbing soothing circles on his back.

A few minutes later, Benny came out of the room shaking with anger, and once everyone noticed him, they all wanted to know how Dean was.  
“I gave him two strong sleeping pills and he’s finally sleeping. I’m gonna kill that son of a bitch! Why the hell didn’t I get up and throw him out the moment he opened his filthy mouth? Dean cried his eyes out saying that that bastard was right and that he is a whore! If I hadn’t given him the pills he would be still… GOD DAMN IT!” Benny screamed and kicked a vase to the floor, smashing it in pieces.

“Keep it down, you idiot! You’ll wake him up and the neighbors will call the cops, if they haven’t already”, Gabriel said, trying to be the voice of reason.

“Guys, should someone maybe call Michael and tell him what happened?” Charlie asked.

“NO!” Cas, Gabriel, Benny and Jo, all said in unison.

“Why not? Dean will need him when he wakes up… He could calm him down.” Charlie protested.

“The last thing Dean needs right now is the reminder of him being a whore… Not that he is, but I’m just saying… And besides, if Michael finds out about this, things will get crazy and get way out of hand! Michael cannot know about this, guys! No one can tell him…” Gabriel said.

“I think that Cas can calm him down just fine”, Benny said.

“I agree…” Jo also voiced her opinion.

“I…” started Cas, but Benny interrupted him, while he sat right next to him on the couch.

“Look Cas, let’s not kid ourselves, here, okay? Adam spoke some truths. We all know you love Dean and that Dean loves you…”

“WE DO?” both Ash and Charlie said in unison.

“Guys, please let the grown-ups talk for now and we’ll deal with you later”, Benny said and then turned back to face Cas.  
“Cas, Dean has told us how he feels about you… me and Jo both… He told us that you are his true mate and that he loves you, but he’s scared to admit it to you or to do anything about it… And okay, he kinda feels guilty for that Michael dude too… but the point is that he loves you and you and only you are his true mate… So, believe me when I say this, you are the only one who can calm him down right down… I know that you’re in a bad shape and everything after the accident and I’m really sorry, but my friend needs you too. He needs you to be his Alpha… So, I’m asking you to go and help my best friend… And I want you to know that I’m rooting for you guys”, Benny finished and smiled warmly at Cas.

“Me too…” Jo also said.

“I… You have no idea how much this means to me… Thank you, Benny for saying it to me. For telling me what Dean is so afraid to tell me… It means the world to me that I have the support of two of his best friends”. Cas was drowning in his own tears by now.

“Go to him and lie down next to him… We’ll be here… It’s you he needs right now…” Benny went on and then patted him on his shoulder.

“Thank you…” Cas muttered and then got up from his seat on the couch and went to find Dean.


	37. Taking Sides

When Cas reached the door of Benny’s bedroom, where Dean was, he was surprised to find that the Omega was not asleep like Benny had told them, but that he was pretty much awake and talking on the phone. So, instead of entering the room, his feet got glued to the floor, as he listened to Dean’s conversation from the half opened door.

“Michael, I… something happened today and I… I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about the way we left things… I really miss you and I wish you were here with me… I really need you, baby”, Cas heard Dean say in between sniffles. It was apparent that he was crying.

“I know I’ve hurt you a lot in the past and you have always forgiven me, even though I don’t deserve it… You took care of me in ways no one else ever has and I just… I’m sorry I was so cold and distant… I miss you so much… I don’t know, if I can wait for a whole month without you… Please come back… I… I love you… I need you… Bye…” Dean finished and then Cas heard him as he cried even harder.

In just a few seconds, Cas’ world had crumbled all over again. Turns out that what Benny had told him had absolutely no meaning. Cas had just heard Dean say that he loved his brother and that made him realize that it wasn’t his place at all to go and comfort him. The one Dean really needed was miles away and Cas had no place to fill in his shoes. So, he carefully stepped away from the door and then, with silent steps, headed back to the living room, where everyone else was.

The moment they noticed that Cas returned, they all looked at him with confused expressions.  
“I thought you went to see Dean…” Benny said first.

“I changed my mind… I really think he needs to rest and be left alone right now… I shouldn’t bother him. He can call me later, if he wants, but right now I need to leave… Gabe, would you mind taking me home? I think I’m getting really tired…” Cas said, turning to see his brother.

“Yeah, sure thing, Cas… Are you okay? You seem a little pale”, Gabriel commented.

“Yeah, just tired… Can we go?” Cas asked in a tired voice and Gabriel nodded.

“Well, goodnight then, brother… Have a safe journey home… I guess, we’ll see you around”, Benny told him as he got up to escort them to the door.

“Yes, of course… See you…” Cas said and then both he and Gabriel were gone. That gave Charlie the cue to voice her mind at last.

“Okay… Now, can anyone please tell me what the hell is going on? Since when do you two know about Dean and Cas?” she said, pointing at Jo and Benny.

“Look, I had my suspicions since the event at the wedding really, but I hadn’t talked about it with Dean before tonight…” Benny answered.

“Yeah, me too… He told me about it, today at lunch…” Jo also said.

“And what? You’re rooting for this craziness? Are you serious? And what about Michael? He doesn’t deserve any of this…” Charlie protested.

“I know he doesn’t and I think that he’s a really nice guy, but come on… This is Dean we’re talking about… I’m rooting for whatever’s best for him… And if he says that Cas is his soul mate or whatever, I believe him and I’m going to support him. That’s what friends do…” Benny said.

“Yes, friends also try and prevent their friends from making mistakes… This is wrong in so many levels… First of all, it is unethical… Not to mention that he and Michael are mated… I know very few couples who have been properly mated and then tried to break their bond… It’s painful as hell and it’s not even always successful… I’m sorry guys, but I’m not gonna let Dean ruin his life like that. I don’t agree with him leaving Michael for his brother. It’s going to be destructive for all three of them… I’m simply not gonna!” Charlie voiced her opinion.

“I’m with Charlie on this one… I’ve seen how bad it can get… When my parents decided that they wanted to break up, it was an awful period for our family… I don’t think my mom ever got over it… I think she’s miserable till this day… I don’t want my friend to go through the same. I care too much about him to let this happen to him…” Ash said.

“So, it’s us two…” said Benny motioning at himself and Jo, “against you two…” he went on, motioning towards Ash and Charlie.  
“All we can do is say our piece and try and be there for him, but in the end it is his decision and his decision alone… And whatever it might be, even if we don’t agree with it, we need to support him, okay?” Benny asked.

“Yes, of course…” Charlie said.

“I agree…” Jo also told them.

“Me too…” Ash spoke last.

In the end, all friends agreed that they were just going to have to disagree. But what mattered the most to them was Dean’s happiness and they were going to do whatever it took to see him joyful again.

…Α-Ω…

The next morning, Dean woke up in a bed full of used tissues and a head that was pounding. With slow motions he got up and then crossed the hall and reached the living room, where Benny was already up, drinking his coffee and reading his usual sports paper.

“Hey, brother…” he said, when he saw Dean.  
“You want some breakfast?” he asked then, getting up from the armchair he had been sitting in.

“What time is it?” said Dean, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Nine thirty… Are you okay?” Benny asked.

“I’m late for work, I need to go… I was supposed to sign Jo’s papers today”, Dean answered looking around, in search for his things.

“Don’t worry about it, mate… Jo is already there and she called to say that everything’s fine. She’s at her post now… She told me that she found Gabriel and they covered for you to that Zachariah dude…”

“Yeah, but still… I need to leave…” Dean said.

“Take a minute… Eat something, take a shower and then leave… You look like hell. You look like you haven’t slept all night. I thought you were sleeping when I left, yesterday, but when I came back an hour later to check on you, I heard you crying again and I decided that maybe it was better for you to let it out, so I didn’t bother you… Did you sleep at all after that?” Benny asked his friend, concerned.

“Maybe a couple of hours… I don’t know… Thanks for letting me crash here, man, but I need to go home, shower and change for work… I’m too tired to drive, so I’ll just take a cab… I’ll come later for the car…” Dean said.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Dean… I can take you and the car… You don’t need to take a cab…”

“No, it’s fine, Benny… Really… I might even send Michael’s driver to pick it up… So, don’t worry. I don’t want to cause you any more trouble. I’ll just use your bathroom for a second and then I’ll be out of your hair…”

“If it’s what you want…” Benny said and Dean just nodded.

A few minutes later, Dean was back in the living room, fully clothed and ready to go.  
“I’ll call you later, okay?” he said.

“Sure thing, man… I work the night shift, tonight at the bar, if you want to drop by for a drink… Ask Jo for the address.”

“I’ll think about it… Bye, Benny”, Dean said and then he was gone.

…Α-Ω…

The moment he reached the front door of the penthouse, he didn’t have the chance to put his key in the keyhole and the door was opened wide. Dean saw Hannah’s worried expression, and hurried to walk past her, because he really wasn’t in the mood for a lecture from the staff. This was ridiculous. He was the master of this home, was he not?

“Sir, you…” Hannah started to say, but Dean interrupted her, placing a finger on her lips to prevent her from continuing.

“Not a word, Hannah… I’m not in the mood and I’m late for work…” Dean said and moved further inside the apartment.

“Sir, I need to talk to you… It’s important”, she said in a worried voice.

Dean suddenly got extremely stressed. What if something had happened to Michael?  
“What’s wrong? Is Michael okay?” he asked immediately, staring at her.

“Mr. Novak is fine, but he got mugged and had his wallet and cell phone stolen… He just needed you to know in case you were calling him”, she said.

Michael hadn’t heard the voicemail he had left for him, then.  
“Are you sure he’s okay? Did he leave a number that I could call?” Dean asked.

“Yes, as a matter of fact he did… He called early last night and he wanted to talk to you, sir… I’m sorry I didn’t cover for you. I told him you were out… I think that he didn’t like it… I’m so sorry…” Hannah said truthfully.

“Don’t worry about it Hannah… Just give me the number and I’ll call him now…”Dean told her, while sitting tiredly on the couch.

“Yes, of course”, she said and went to get it.

A few minutes later, Dean was calling his husband to talk to him for the first time, since he left, and the phone rang five times, before it was finally answered.

“Hello…” came Michael’s voice. He sounded too cold and distant.

“Michael? It’s me, Dean…” Dean replied, carefully.

“Oh, hey… you finally got my message, I presume…” Michael said.

“Uhm… yeah… Are you okay?” Dean was running his left hand nervously over his dress pants.

“Yes, I am… There’s no need to worry. I was luckily not carrying my passport at the time, so I didn’t get in any real trouble… They just stole some money and my phone. You? Hannah told me you were still out when I called… Did you get back early?” Michael asked.

“Uh… no, not exactly… My friends came from Kansas and they had a party at their place… They let me crash on their couch, ‘cause it was late… I came back this morning…” Dean said.

“Oh, I see…” Michael said in a cold voice. Dean could sense that he was angry at him.

“I swear it won’t happen again… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it…” Dean said.

“Whatever, Dean… Look, I’m about to get in a meeting, so, if you don’t mind, I need to hang up now…” Michael told him in that same tone.

“Will you call me later? When you can?” Dean asked him and then he heard Michael sigh.

After a few seconds of silence, Michael finally spoke.  
“Do you want me to?” he asked, hesitatingly.

“Yeah, I’d really like that…”

“Okay, then… I’ll just… I’ll call you when I’m done… Should I call you at the office? Are you going to go?”

“Yeah, I just need to take a shower and change my clothes, but then I’ll go…”

“Okay… I’ll… I’ll talk to you later, then.” Dean could hear that Michael’s voice had become warmer.

“Michael?” Dean said then.

“Yes?” Michael replied in an instant.

“Be careful, okay? And I… I miss you…” Dean was holding his breath for Michael’s answer to that, which came a few moments later.

“I… I miss you too, Dean. I lo… I’ll call you later, okay? Goodbye…” Michael said and Dean let himself breathe again.

“Okay, bye…” Dean said and hang up the phone.

…Α-Ω…

Dean arrived at the office an hour later, only to find Jo waiting for him in a frenzy of rage.  
“What’s the matter, Jo?” he asked her, concerned, the moment he walked into her office.

“You won’t believe what has happened…” she said, standing up.

“What?” Dean asked. Her behavior was definitely weird.

“Adam is here…”

“Adam?” Dean asked, surprised. His eyes becoming comically wide.

“Yeah… he’s in your office right now with Zachariah and they’re waiting for you.”

“What for?” Dean asked. This was crazy. What the hell was Adam doing there?

“Zachariah didn’t tell me. He said he’d tell you in person…” Jo answered.

“Okay, Jo… Thanks… I’ll see you later.” Dean told her and then headed for the door of his office.

When he walked in, he found Zachariah sitting in Michael’s chair, while Adam was sitting opposite him, taking notes of something Zachariah was telling him.

“Good morning…” Dean said in a decisive, cold voice.

“Morning? You call this morning? It’s almost noon… Does Michael know of this abuse of power on your behalf?” Zachariah asked, while smirking, making his face look more smug than usual.

“Yes, he does and I have his blessings. We spoke on the phone over an hour ago… Now, may I ask what you and this guy are doing in my office and why you are sitting in my chair?” Dean asked, coming closer to the desk.

“Well, the reason I’m sitting in ‘Michael’s’ chair is because it’s comfortable. The reason why Mr. Milligan is here is that he is working for me as from today, as my assistant”, Zachariah answered.

“And what about Adina? I thought she was your secretary”, Dean said, eyeing him suspiciously.  
“Oh, unfortunately, Adina decided to quit… She informed me this morning that her poor mother is very sick and that she had to go back to San Francisco to take care of her. Having done all those interviews this week, it wasn’t hard for me to find a replacer.”

“But I thought there was another that had caught your eye. Mr. Milligan wasn’t even your first choice”, Dean told him, while getting uneasy.

“Well, yes… it’s true, but then I thought that you were right about what you said, yesterday”, Zachariah said with all the smugness he could master.

“And what was that, again?” Dean asked him.

“That we should give more chances to young people. Mr. Armstrong was past his expiring date. So, I decided to give Adam here a chance, like you did with your friend, Miss Harvelle, for example.”

“You didn’t ask me about this. Mr. Milligan cannot work here. You’ll have to find someone else…” Dean said, while Adam was glaring at him.

“No, I won’t. You see, I asked someone that matters more and he gave me the okay… Michael. Mr. Milligan told me that you two have history and that you could react to his employment, so I called to ask the boss.”

“When was that? He didn’t tell me anything… And he had his phone stolen. Where did you call him?” Dean asked, annoyed.

“For your information, I know that he got mugged, since yesterday… But also, I have his hotel room’s number and I talk to him, everyday, unlike you. I’m surprised that you spoke to him and you know this… You see, Michael might be indifferent for your ridiculous marriage, but when it comes to his company, he needs to know everything and I’m the one that keeps him up to date. So… I’m just going to need two quick signatures from you, for Miss Harvelle’s papers and for Mr. Milligan’s and we’ll be out of your hair in no time…” Zachariah said, getting up from the chair and giving Dean the papers.

Dean gave him a murderous glare, but took them and signed them, nonetheless and then he handed them back to him.

“It’s always a pleasure doing business with you, Dean… I’ll see you around… Come on, Adam…” Zachariah said and gave Dean one last amused look, before he was gone.

Adam just looked at him smugly, like the way he did yesterday, when he was humiliating him and then followed Zachariah outside. The moment they were gone, Jo came inside the office and closed the door behind her.

“What the hell was that trash doing here?” she asked angrily.

Dean was sitting in his chair and looked up at her tiredly.  
“He’s Zachariah’s new assistant”, he said.

“WHAT? No way! What the hell? We need to do something! Why didn’t you say anything to stop this? We need to talk to Gabriel or…” Jo started to say, but Dean interrupted her.

“Jo, just let it go… There’s nothing we can do about it… Zachariah called Michael and Michael said he was okay with it. Adam had already told them that we have history and that I would be against it, but they didn’t care… There’s nothing we can do… It’s done! Anyway, Adam isn’t stupid to cause another scene… We just need to stay out of each other’s way…” Dean told her and then ran his hands through his hair.

“Yes, but I’m sure Michael doesn’t know what happened… If he did…”

“It doesn’t matter… I don’t care anymore… Could you please go? I need to be alone”, Dean said and buried his face in his hands.

“Yes, Dean… of course. I’m sorry… Do you want me to get you anything?”

“No, I’m good… Thanks, Jo… Just leave me alone, please.”

“Okay… I’ll be outside, if you need anything”, Jo said and then left the room, closing the door behind her. Dean then let his head drop on his desk and sighed deeply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean's friends are taking sides, here! Which couple are you rooting for? :-P


	38. Talking About Charade!!!

It was later, in the afternoon, and Dean had been asked to go to Gabriel’s office over an hour ago, because they had to review some contracts together. So, it was just Jo, who was working at her office. Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming towards her and thinking it was Dean, she started talking without looking first.

“Dean, I wanted to ask you, whether you’ve decided to come tonight to the bar that Benny works or not…” she started saying, but when she looked up and saw it wasn’t him, she stopped.  
“Oh… it’s you. What do you want?” Jo said, glaring at Adam.

“Zachariah sent me to get Mr. Adler’s contract. He said that you should have it…” Adam said, smirking at her.

“I know what contract he’s talking about, but I don’t have it here… Dean and Gabriel have it with them in their meeting… I’ll go see, if they’re done with it and get it for you… Wait here and don’t touch anything, while I’m gone…” Jo said and got up from her desk and then hastily left the room.

Adam started pacing the room then, looking around and picking at the stuff at Jo’s desk and the bookcase on the opposite wall, when he heard the phone ring in Michael’s office. It was his personal line, ‘cause it wasn’t ringing on Jo’s desk too. After looking around to see if Jo was coming back, he decided to enter the office and then closed the door behind him carefully. He located the phone on the left side of the desk and with hesitant steps he walked towards it and then he picked it up.

“Michael Novak’s office…” he said.

“Uhm… This is Michael Novak… Who am I speaking with?” came Michael’s confused voice from the other end of the line.

When Adam realized that it was Michael, his posture changed immediately.  
“Oh, Mr. Novak? This is Adam Milligan… I’m Mr. Zachariah Novak’s new assistant… He talked to you about me, this morning…” Adam said and he couldn’t keep that goofy smile off his face. In reality, the most important reason for which he wanted to become Michael’s assistant in the first place, and because of which, he knew so much about him and his marriage with Dean, was that he had a huge crush on him, since he was sixteen and Michael was a young up-and-comer in the business field. He was actually the one that inspired him to choose that line of studies. So, in a few words, it wasn’t too long before he became obsessed with him and started reading every little piece of article about the Alpha he could get his hands on. The day Michael married Dean was a day of mourning for Adam.

“Oh, yeah… Mr. Milligan... I remember… So, is everything okay with your new post? Do you like working for our company?” Michael asked.

“Yes, Mr. Novak… Thank you for your concern...” Adam said, squealing with joy on the inside.  
“I’m very pleased with my job…” he said.

“Oh, I’m glad to hear that …Adam, right?” Michael asked.

“Yes, it’s Adam.” Adam couldn’t believe that Michael Novak had just called him by his first name.

“Uhm…, Adam, is there a reason why you’re answering my husband’s personal line?” Michael asked him then.

Of course, Dean was the reason he was calling. In that frenzy of joy, Adam had forgotten where he was. The idea of Dean made him crazy with hatred and jealousy all over again. Dean had everything he was supposed to have and he didn’t even value it. He was cheating on this great man with his own brother. At that moment an idea sparked in Adam’s mind.

“Oh, I came to find his assistant, ‘cause I needed a contract she had, but she was nowhere to be found. Then, I heard the phone and I thought that since it’s the personal line, it might be important, so I took the liberty of answering it. Excuse me for my intrusion, Mr. Novak…” Adam lied. It was only curiosity and hope that it could be Michael that led him to answer it and of course he had found Jo.

“Oh, no… don’t worry about it. You did well and please… call me Michael. We’ll be working together, we might as well start calling each other by our first names. Uh, do you know where Dean is? He was supposed to be at the office… Have you seen him around?” Michael asked him.

“Uh… no, I haven’t. I’m afraid your husband didn’t come to the office today. I haven’t seen him since yesterday at the party.” Adam lied again, congratulating himself on the inside.

“Are you sure? He told me that he’d be there… Wait! Did you just say that you saw him yesterday at the party? Were you at the party Dean told me his friends were throwing?” Michael asked, getting really confused.

“Yes, one of his friends, Ash, had invited me… I met him at campus in NYU. It was really crazy… They were like a hundred people in there, partying like animals… It wasn’t really my scene, so I left early…”

“I was under the impression that it was just a small gathering to celebrate the fact that they were reunited… But well, Dean didn’t really tell me that. I guess, I just assumed…” Michael muttered.

“Well, yeah… it was pretty wild. I guess that’s the reason your assistant is so slow today… They drank way too much last night… If the way they were acting is anything to go by… Even your husband’s… Oh, shit! I wasn’t supposed to say that”, Adam said, feigning innocence.

“What about Dean? What did he do?” Michael asked in a cold voice.

“I shouldn’t say… Please, Mr. Novak, don’t make me tell you… I really like Dean, even though he doesn’t share those feelings… Probably because of what I saw and heard… But I can’t tell you…” Adam went on with his charade.

“Adam, tell me right now what you saw and heard, if you want to keep your job”, Michael threatened him.

“If you put it that way… I guess I have no choice…” Adam said and then he began telling his story.  
“When I got there, Dean was already really drunk, and was having the time of his life. He had gotten rid of his shirt and was standing on a table with a beer bottle in his hand and he kept saying that he was celebrating his freedom, causing laughter and applause everywhere… I didn’t know who he was at the time. I only found out later, when he introduced himself to me, and I thought he was kind of funny, ‘cause he kept laughing, because he was drunk. So, I liked him… I had no reason not to…” said Adam. 

Michael was grinding his teeth from his anger at the other end of the line.  
“Go on…” he urged him to continue.

“I was in a corner, talking with Ash and I kept seeing him dancing with various Alphas, that were getting kinda handsy with him and he was letting them, swaying his hips to the music’s rhythm. At some point, he was dancing for a while with one guy, that Ash told me was their friend Benny and he…” Adam said and hesitated at the end.

“He what?” Michael said, boiling with anger.

“He kissed Dean with tongue and squeezed his ass, but after a few seconds, Dean pushed him away and told him that he couldn’t do that to a Cassie, a Cass or something… I don’t know, I wasn’t really close to hear it correctly, but I read his lips… Then Benny came to us and said that Dean was going to that person’s house… And indeed, no long after that he was gone and then so was I… Ash told me that the party kept going until morning, when I spoke with him earlier”, Adam finished his lie.

Michael was trying really hard to control himself, but anger wouldn’t let him.  
“Is there anything else that you’re not telling me? Anything else that you know?” he asked. Adam could practically feel Michael’s anger right down to his spine. He wouldn’t want to be in Dean’s shoes right now, that was certain.

“I heard his friend and your assistant, Jo, earlier, saying that they were all going to a bar, where that guy Benny is working, tonight. She mentioned Dean and said that he was going too. That’s everything I know… I swear!”

“Thank you, Adam… for telling me the truth and please, keep this between us. I don’t want other people to know what you told me… I’ll deal with Dean, myself.” Michael said.

“Of course, as you wi…” started Adam to say, but before he could finish, the line was dead. Then, hurriedly, he put the phone back into place, making sure to erase the phone call and ran back out, closing the door behind him and then sat on one of the two chairs that were in front of Jo’s desk.

He hadn’t been sitting for more than three seconds, when Jo walked back in, holding a file in her hand.  
“There you go”, she said, handing him the file, while looking at him with a cold stare.

“Oh, thank you…” Adam said, amused by her attitude.

“Now, get lost, before Dean comes back…” she warned and then went to sit back at her desk.

Adam stood up and he was ready to leave, when Jo suddenly stopped him.  
“Wait! Did anyone call, while I was gone?” she asked.

“No one… It was really dull in here…” he said and smirked.

“Whatever… Get the hell out, snake!” she said and Adam did just that. He left her office and on his way back to Zachariah’s, he met Dean and gave him the worst ‘you’re so screwed’ look he could master, earning one of pure confusion from Dean.

“Hey, Jo…” Dean said, when he walked inside her office.  
“What was that guy so smug about? Was he in here?” he asked.

“Yeah… he’s the one who wanted the Adler file…” she said.

“Oh… uhm, anyway. Did Michael call while I was at Gabriel’s?” he asked then.

“Uh… no. Not while I was here. I asked that rat too and he said no one called while I was with you.”

“Oh… uh, thank you. It’s weird… I thought that he would have called by now…” Dean muttered.

“Why are you so anxious about it? I thought you said you liked Cas…” Jo commented.

“I really don’t want to talk about it, right now, Jo…” Dean said and ran his left hand through his hair.

“How about over drinks, tonight, at ‘The Mystery Spot’?” she asked expectantly.

“No, I don’t think I’ll come… I’m tired… I’d rather stay home. Maybe Michael will call me later…” Dean said and moved to go back inside his office.

“As you wish…” she said and gave him a warm smile.

Their ignorance of the latest events allowed them to feel relaxed for now, but the storm was most definitely coming.


	39. Trouble in Paradise

Dean had spent the rest of the day at the office, waiting for Michael’s call, but it never came and so, he decided that perhaps it would be best, if he just went home.

When he walked through the door, he was surprised to find his father and brother waiting for him there, while Hannah was getting the table ready for them to have dinner.

“Uh, dad… Sammy? What are you guys doing here? I thought we said that you’d come on Saturday”, Dean said, the moment he reached the living room, while removing his suit jacket and placing it on the back of an armchair.

“Well, it seems that we can’t trust you to stay alone, not even for a week…” John told him in a harsh tone.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Sammy?” Dean turned to his brother for help and an explanation.

“Michael called dad on the phone earlier…” Sam said in an apologetic tone. He knew exactly what his father was about to say to Dean and how pissed he was with his older brother.

“He called you? When? I was waiting for him to call me all day and he never did…” Dean asked his father, confused.

“Oh, don’t give me that shit, Dean… Michael said that you weren’t at the company and that you didn’t sleep here last night… Where the hell were you? Don’t you understand that you’re a married man, now? And not just that, but that you’re also an Omega? How did you turn out like this? I didn’t raise you to be so irresponsible… Can you imagine how ashamed I felt, when my son in law called to tell me that my son was out partying all night with his friends, making a fool of himself?” John yelled at Dean’s face.

“What are you talking about? That’s a lie! Yes, I went at Benny’s and Jo’s, but I wasn’t partying all night or made a fool of myself. It had just gotten late and they let me crash on their couch… That’s it… Gabriel and Cas were with me, they can confirm my words…” Dean protested. Whatever he was saying, however, he could see that it wasn’t reaching his father’s ears.

“Dean, it doesn’t matter whether it’s true or not. All that matters is that Michael thinks it is. You’re a grown man, Dean. Start acting like one… You have responsibilities now… Oh, and speaking of responsibilities, if I remember correctly, the reason you didn’t come and work with me, was because Michael wanted you at his company, and now you don’t even show your face there?” John went on, leaving Dean speechless.

“What are you talking about?” Dean asked after the initial shock of what his father had just told him.  
“I was just there… I’ve been working all day… Ask anyone… Ask Zachariah or Gabriel… I was there!” Dean was trying to understand what the hell was going on here, but he couldn’t make sense of anything.

“Stop trying to excuse yourself to me… I think I know you well enough to know what this is… You never wanted this marriage and you were just humoring me… But now you think that you get to do whatever you want, because it’s not me you have to give an answer to. But guess what, Dean… I won’t let you ruin this marriage and if what it takes to do that is be with you all day long until Michael gets back, I’ll do it. Now, go to your room and don’t come out until tomorrow… for work.”

“What? You can’t tell me to go to my room in my own house…” Dean said. This was preposterous.

“Actually, I can… Michael asked me to come stay with you, until he gets back and he told me that I could try and discipline you however the hell I wanted. This is me, doing exactly that. I have the permission of your Alpha. You remember that, Dean… don’t you? That you have an Alpha? Even if it’s not your father anymore… You’re an Omega! You don’t get to do whatever the hell you want”, John said and Dean immediately froze at the cruelty of his words.

“I can’t believe you would use biology against your own son…” he said, feeling betrayed. Dean looked like he was about to cry.

“Go to your room, Dean…” John told him then, turning his back to his son.  
“Hannah will bring you your dinner later”, John kept talking in that same harsh tone, without facing him, while Sam was looking at his brother with sad eyes.

Dean kept staring at his father’s back and then he replied.  
“Whatever… it’s good to see you, Sammy…” he said, and gave a warm smile to his baby brother, before he left for his room.

…Α-Ω…

Dean was lying on his bed in a pair of sweatpants and an old band T-shirt and was staring at the opposite wall. He was trying to figure out what had gone so terribly wrong. What could have possibly changed after he and Michael talked. Michael had seemed forgiving. He had even told him that he missed him. So why would he call his father and tell him to come discipline him from all things? 

And okay, Dean knew that Michael was uptight and that he cared too much about his image –the agreement they both signed was living proof of that- but he couldn’t understand, why Michael would become so insecure and so suspicious and untrusting of him, just because he went to see his friends once. And why the hell did Michael think that Dean wasn’t at the company? He had specifically told him that he would go and Michael had told him that he would call him there. Which he never did.

Thinking about all that, Dean’s anger kept building up, until he heard a knock on the door and sat upright on the bed.  
“Come in…” he said.

“Excuse me, sir… I brought your dinner”, Hannah informed him, while entering. From the way she moved and the way she was avoiding Dean’s eyes, it was obvious that she was feeling uncomfortable, because she had heard Dean’s argument with his father.

“It’s alright, Hannah… Thank you… You can leave it there”, said Dean, pointing at the foot of the bed and Hannah did just that.

“Hey, can I ask you a question?” he asked her then and she nodded.  
“Did Michael call and say anything after I left this morning?” Dean said and waited expectantly for her answer.

“Yes… he called about two hours ago, to inform me that your father and brother would come and stay with us until he returned, so that I would prepare their rooms and make them dinner”, Hannah said, still avoiding his gaze.

“Just that? He didn’t ask you anything about me?”

“Well, yes… He wanted to know, if you were home and if not, when you had left the house…” Hannah told him.

“And what did you say to him?”

“That you left this morning for work, about an hour after you two talked.” Dean was processing all the new information.

“And did he sound angry or something?” Dean asked her then.

“Well, he did sound angry from the beginning, but when I told him about the time of your leaving, he became even angrier… If that’s possible. I’m so sorry, sir… I don’t understand what it is that I said that made him so angry”, Hannah said with pleading eyes.

“It’s okay, Hannah… You didn’t do anything wrong. Can you get the phone for me? I need to get to the bottom of this.”

“Yes, of course… I’ll be right back”, Hannah said and hastily left the room. A few seconds later, she returned, holding the phone in her hand.

“Hey, do you know Michael’s hotel room number?” he asked.

“Yes, of course… he gave it to me before he left. Here it is”, she said, handing him a piece of paper, she had in the pocket of her uniform. It looked like she expected him to ask her about it and she had taken it with her.

“Thank you, Hannah… Would you mind leaving now?” Dean asked and Hannah nodded, before she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Dean took a deep breath and then dialed the number on the phone and waited for Michael to pick up. It was four endless rings for Dean, but his call was finally answered.

“Hello? Uncle Zachariah, is that you? I was sleeping… It’s one AM here… Did something happen at the company?” Michael asked in a tired and sleepy voice, before giving the chance to Dean to reply.

“It’s not Zachariah, but your husband… Dean”, he told him in a cold voice. He didn’t care whether he had woken him up or not. He just needed an explanation for all the crazy that had happened to him today and he needed it now.

“Dean, what do you want?” Michael asked him, after a moment. Dean could hear a noise, like he was shuffling to get up from his bed.

“What do I want? Are you kidding me? What the hell is wrong with you? Why didn’t you call me again today and what was all this shit you told my dad?” Dean asked him angrily.

“You know what, Dean? You’ve got some nerve there…” Michael sounded equally angry. The sleep not evident on his voice anymore.  
“You think that just because I’m not there, I wouldn’t find out about your activities? Should I remind you of the agreement you signed before I left?” he told him.

“What the hell are you talking about? What activities? What did I do? I apologized for staying over at my friends’ apartment, but I did nothing more… I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. I did nothing to violate the agreement… I don’t understand where this is all coming from! And why the hell did you tell my dad that I wasn’t at the company? I was in my office and waited for you to call all day and you never did… I only left for like an hour, because I had to run some things over with Gabriel and then I went back… Ask your uncle, ask anyone, damn it! They all saw me…” Dean protested, without stopping. He needed to get it out of his chest, before Michael could tell him something equally ridiculous with the rest.

“I already did ask, Dean and they told me they never saw you today. So, why would you make this up now, huh? Where were you? Were you with my brother? Did you cheat on me again with my brother?” Michael sounded furious.

“What are you talking about? Who did you ask? And what does Cas have to do with any of this? I haven’t seen him, since last night at the party…” Dean said.

“So, you admit it… You went to see my brother! Did he knot you? Answer me, Dean…” Michael yelled.

“What the hell? I just invited him to the party. He came with Gabriel and then they left together. Why don’t you ask them? Why the hell are you accusing me of cheating on you?” Dean asked. He couldn’t believe he was hearing these things.

“Stop lying to me, Dean… You left the party to go to my brother and today you didn’t go to the company… Why? Why the hell would you cheat on me again? After everything… after I forgave you…” Michael kept saying. He sounded equal parts of crazy and delirious.

“You know what? You’ve got some issues. You’re crazy and I can’t deal with crazy people who don’t hear to reason… It was a bad idea to call you… I don’t know what I was thinking”, Dean said, while tears were running down his cheeks.

“Dean, don’t you dare hang up on me… Answer me what I asked you… Did you cheat on me again with my brother?” Michael yelled.

“You know what? Yes, I did… multiple times. Are you happy now? I fucked your brother senseless all night long, even though he’s injured and recovering from a gunshot. I guess, I just couldn’t keep my hands off of him… It’s true, I violated one of the most basic rules of your agreement… So, you can shove it up your ass. There’s no point in denying it anymore… I slept with Cas… Now, GO TO HELL, JERK!” Dean screamed and threw the phone to the nearest wall, smashing it into pieces.

A moment later, his father, along with Sammy, were entering the room, looking frantically around, in order to see what had happened.  
“Dean, what did you break? Why were you screaming?” John asked him, but Dean paid him absolutely no attention, as he was putting on his shoes and was getting ready to leave.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going? I’m talking to you, Dean…” John said after a moment, as he grabbed his son by his arm.

“Wherever the hell I want…” Dean retorted, pulling his arm out of his father’s grasp.  
“Don’t wait up…” he said and then hastily walked out of the room.

John knew better than to follow him right now and so he decided to let him go. He was already feeling guilty for the things he had told him earlier and it was obvious that Dean was suffering. He would have to talk to him again tomorrow, but he knew that now was a bad time to do that.

As Dean was driving in his car, he felt like there was only one person he wanted to see. There was only one who could make him feel better right now. And that person was Cas.


	40. Sweet Dreams

Dean felt his palms sweating as he approached Castiel’s front door. He had been driving around in his car for like four hours now, before he finally plucked up enough courage to go and see the one person he really needed to see. All the anger from earlier had subsided, leaving only sorrow and confusion behind and as he stood there, in front of his friend’s apartment, he started feeling nervous all over again. Was it a bad idea to go see Cas now? Probably yes! But what else could he do? At the very least, he needed to warn him about all the nonsense he had told Michael earlier. ‘Yes, I was right to come’, he finally decided and pushed the doorbell button with determination.

At first, there was no movement from the inside, but a minute later, Dean heard Cas dragging his feet towards the door, before suddenly the sound stopped. There was a long pause and Dean could swear that he heard Cas sigh from the other side of the door. But then, Cas started unlocking it and three seconds later Dean was looking in a pair of confused and tired blue eyes.

“Hey, Cas…” he said, smiling awkwardly.

“Dean, what are you doing here? Do you have any idea what time it is?” Cas said as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, looking totally disheveled with his bedhead and his old sweatpants that were hanging low on his hips, revealing the soft skin of his middle. Right then, Dean thought that Cas was truly beautiful. 

“Yeah, it’s almost one… So, can I come inside?” Dean asked, flashing him another smile.

Cas sighed deeply then and moved to the side to let him in. After he closed the door, he walked slowly to the couch, where Dean had already taken a seat and sat down himself.  
“So, what brings you here?”

“I… I wanted to see how you were doing…” Dean said, while he was looking at his hands.

“Yeah, right… You remembered to check on me at one AM? Don’t you think you chose a weird time to do that? Really, Dean… what’s going on? Why are you really here? Did something happen?” Cas wasn’t fooled by Dean’s words. 

Dean just looked at him shyly and then he spoke.   
“Uhm… sort of. I… The problem is that I don’t know what it is that has happened, Cas… I’m so confused and hurt and I… I didn’t know where else to go… I’m sorry that I woke you up… Perhaps I should just go… Forgive me…” Dean said and made a move to get up from the couch.

“No, don’t be a fool… Just tell me what’s wrong… You’re already here, anyway.” Cas said, as he grabbed Dean’s hand and made him sit back down.

Dean sighed and then he started telling him all that had happened that day. Cas sat there listening carefully, until Dean dropped the bomb that he told Michael that they slept together and Cas suddenly felt the urge to speak.

“Dean, why would you say that? Are you crazy? Don’t you understand how bad things already are between me and my brother? You need to call him and tell him that you just said that, because you were mad… I can’t believe that you would drag me into this again, after everything…”

“Look, Cas… I’m sorry, man. But Michael had already dragged you into this, to begin with… He already thought that I started sleeping with you again… I just… He got on my nerves with all of his accusations and he hurt me… So, I just wanted to hurt him back… I don’t even know whether he believed me or not… To me it was obvious that I was just being sarcastic, but I never know with him, anymore… He was so damn sure that I was cheating on him… I just don’t understand who the hell he talked to and why would that person lie to him like that. He told me that he asked and that someone told him that I wasn’t at the company today… Why would someone say that? Zachariah is the only person he ever talks to from the company, now that he’s away, but I don’t think that even he is such an ass to lie to him like that… And okay, he might hate my guts, but it can’t possibly be him. So the question remains. Who would do that? And what gain would that person have from this?” Dean said and buried his face in his hands.

“I honestly don’t know, Dean… But I don’t like the position you’ve put me into, here. Look, I don’t want to sound like an ass, but you’ve already made your choice. I… I really want to help you, I just don’t know how… You’re basically asking me to help you make up with my brother and I know I said that I’d be your friend but… You know, even friendship has its limits. It’s still painful for me… My feelings for you haven’t disappeared. They’re still here and they hurt me… I don’t like being used like that, just so that you can get to my brother’s nerves. I’m afraid that you need to ask someone else to help you with this and I want you to tell Michael the truth. I don’t want to be in the middle of your fight”, Cas said as he stood up from the couch and looked away from Dean.

“I’m sorry, Cas… I didn’t mean… I wasn’t thinking”, Dean said, feeling ashamed.  
“I’m so sorry for making you feel like this… I’ll just go back home… I shouldn’t have come… I’m sorry!” he said then and got up from the couch.

“Dean…” Cas said and turned around to face him. The hurt look on Dean’s face made him feel like a real asshole.  
“No, I’m… I didn’t mean to yell at you… Forgive me… I overreacted… You can stay… I’ll help you figure this out…”

“No, you don’t have to, man… I’m sorry… You were right. I need to stop using you… You don’t have to suffer through this…”

“No, I want to… I mean, I want to help you. There’s no way Michael will believe that nothing happened between us, unless we figure out who spoke to him and implied such a thing, anyway. Please, stay…”

“You’re a real angel, Cas… You know that, right?” Dean told him then.

“God knows I’m no angel, Dean… I’m just trying to make up for my mistakes… Even if I don’t want to admit it, part of what happened today is my fault. Michael wouldn’t be that suspicious of you, if it weren’t for me… So, why don’t you tell me again, this time in more detail, the events of the day? Would you also like some hot chocolate? I really want one, myself.”

“I… yeah that sounds good. Thanks, Cas…” Dean said and Cas smiled at him.

“You’re welcome, Dean…” he said then.

…Α-Ω…

Half an hour later, Cas and Dean still couldn’t make sense of anything and they were starting to get really tired.  
“Look, I think we need to talk about this, tomorrow… I’m really tired and I don’t understand anything right now… We need to sleep, Dean…” Cas said and ran his right hand through his hair, making it look even messier.

“I… you’re right… I’ll let you to it, then…” Dean said.

“Wait… You don’t have to go. You can sleep here on the couch if you want… It’s too late… I don’t want you driving at this hour. You might fall asleep.” Cas told him, concerned.

“Trust me, Cas, this isn’t the first time I’ll be driving this late. I’m fine… I got this.”

“Regardless… Please, stay here… We can talk some more tomorrow morning over breakfast. What do you say?”

“Well, I’d rather stay here than face my dad right now… so, okay. Thanks, man!” Dean said and smiled.

“I’ll get you a blanket and a pillow…”

“No, wait… I can do that… You’re still recovering from your wounds, I don’t want you lifting any weight.”

“Then, follow me… I guess”, Cas said and walked towards his bedroom, Dean following right behind him.

Once they were inside the room, Cas moved to the closet to find a spare blanket, but soon realized that he had none.  
“Damn it, I forgot about it… I still haven’t gotten them from my old apartment… I only took the basic… My clothes, sheet for the bed, but just one blanket, ‘cause it was still hot outside. But tonight is rather cold… You won’t sleep well without a blanket”, Cas said and ran his hands through his hair, frustrated.

“No, it’s okay, man… I’ll head home…” Dean told him.

“Uhm… you could sleep in my bed with me… I mean, I won’t touch you or anything… We’ll just sleep… But I understand if you feel too uncomfortable to do that.”

“I… no, I mean… It’s not weird… I’ve slept a lot of times in Benny’s bed with him, back in high school when we were hanging out more often… But I don’t want to bother you… Besides, like I said, you’re still recovering…” Dean answered, hesitating.

“You won’t be bothering me… It’s a big bed…”

“I…” Dean started to say.

“Really, Dean… I don’t mind…” Cas assured him.

“Okay, then… thanks…”

“Good… You look like you’re already dressed for bed…” Cas commented, looking at Dean’s attire.

“Uh, yeah… I had dressed for bed, before I called Michael earlier and I didn’t change my clothes when I left…” Dean said, looking down at his clothes. He had totally forgotten what he was wearing.

“It’s okay… We should sleep…” Cas said and moved to the right side of the bed and lied down under the covers.

“Yeah…” Dean muttered after a moment and hesitantly moved to the other side of the bed and got under the covers as well.

They were both staring at each other for a few seconds, before Cas finally broke the silence.  
“Good night, Dean… sweet dreams…” he said.

“’Night, Cas…” Dean replied and they both closed their eyes. Soon they were both asleep.


	41. Facing Our Nightmares

Dean was still asleep, when he felt something or more likely someone moving next to him. At first, he didn’t realize where he was and his mind drifted off to Michael. But then he remembered that the Alpha was not home; and neither was he. Slowly, he opened his eyes and found himself in a strange room and then he heard someone mumbling something next to him in their sleep. Dean immediately turned around and saw Cas, soaked in sweat, talking and stirring uneasily in his sleep.

“No, you’re not my father…” he kept saying.  
“No… dad, where are you? Please… help me… Dad… DAD?!” Cas screamed and jolted up from where he was lying in the bed, ending up in Dean’s arms.

“Ssshhh… Cas, it was only a nightmare. Relax; It’s okay. You’re fine”, Dean said as he ran his hand through Castiel’s sweat soaked hair. The Alpha kept breathing harshly on Dean’s neck and couldn’t stop himself from trembling.

“Dean?” he whispered then, coming back to reality.  
“You’re here… I… I’m sorry for waking you”, Cas said, removing himself from Dean’s embrace and looking at the Omega with frightened blue eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay! Don’t sweat it… Are you okay? You were having a nightmare. Do you want me to get you some water or something?” Dean asked in a voice filled with concern.

“No… I… I’m fine. It was just such a terrible dream. God, my heart is racing.” Cas said, placing his hand over his heart, trying to calm his breathing.

“I’ll get you a glass of water, regardless. Wait here; I’ll be back in a sec.” Dean said and left the room. Half a minute later he was right back next to Cas, handing him a glass filled with water from the kitchen sink.

Cas took a sip and then gave the glass back to the Omega, who, in turn, put it on the nightstand next to the bed.  
“Are you feeling any better? What’s the matter? You want to talk about it?” Dean asked him then, searching for the Alpha’s eyes, which were currently fixed on his hands in his lap.

“I… I don’t know. It’s just… In my dream, there was this horrible man, who had yellow eyes and kept saying that he was my father and that my family wasn’t real. I knew that he was a killer and that he had done terrible things and I really didn’t want to believe him. I was so scared and I kept calling for my dad to come and save me from him, but he never came… Then, I just woke up.” Cas finished and sighed deeply.

Dean was the one who was now avoiding the other man’s gaze. He knew very well what this dream was about and the truth lying behind it. So, maybe Cas was starting to get his memories back, even if it was only in a dream for now. His subconscious was trying to make him remember. But he still couldn’t tell him anything. He should let him remember it by himself. It was safer that way.

“It was only a dream, Cas… Don’t worry. Your family is very much real and they all love you. They would never abandon you.” Dean decided to say.

“I know. It’s just… It seemed so real, you know? I felt like I have lived that scene in my mind before”, Cas replied, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes.

“Like déjà vu?” Dean asked.

“I know it sounds crazy, but… yeah, kind of. However, it was a much stronger feeling than déjà vu. It was like remembering something from my past that I had forgotten. I’m probably just being crazy…” Cas said in the end and buried his face in his hands.

“It happens. Some dreams seem very real sometimes. You shouldn’t worry…” Dean said and smiled at him softly.  
“Hey, can I ask you something?” he asked then and Cas nodded.  
“Have you had any more of these dreams? Or was this nightmare a one-time thing?”

Cas looked at him tiredly and lowered his head in defeat.  
“I’ve been having these strange dreams, since I came back from the hospital, but nothing like the one I had today. I’ve been mostly having dreams about being shot and some others about my mother… being at her house… I guess the accident really messed me up.”

“It’s okay, Cas. You went through a traumatic experience. It’s only natural to be feeling like that. Maybe you should consider going to a psychologist. You need to talk to someone. Get this off your chest. It can’t be good to be waking up every night from nightmares.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m just not very good at talking to strangers…” Cas said and sighed deeply.

“If you don’t want talking to strangers, you can always count on me. I can be that person for you, if you want. I’ve caused you enough trouble as it is; maybe I can help you out with this, make up for the rest of the crap I put you through.” Dean said and then looked at the clock next to the bed and sighed.  
“I should probably go home and change to go to the office, before the other shoe drops. Consider my offer… I don’t want you to go through this alone”, he said and patted Cas on the shoulder.

“I’ll think about it. Thank you, Dean. Are you sure you don’t want to eat some breakfast, before you go? It’s only six o’clock. When are we going to talk about what happened yesterday?” he asked him then, as Dean got up from the bed and started looking around for his shoes.

“Can you come and have lunch with me, today, at the company? I think we need more time for this and a pair of new eyes on the subject. I think we should talk to Gabriel. He might see something we missed.” Dean said, turning around to face the Alpha, after having put on his shoes. Cas had gotten up from the bed to escort him outside, but stopped, when Dean paused at the bedroom door.

“Okay, I’ll see you at lunch, then. Call me, if you need anything...” Cas said and smiled at the Omega warmly.

“See ya, Cas…” Dean said and kissed the Alpha on the cheek, surprising him.  
“You should go back to bed, you need to rest. I’ll see myself out, you don’t need to come.”

“Okay, then… Bye, Dean.” Dean nodded and left the room, as the Alpha stood exactly where he was, until he heard the front door closing behind the Omega.

…Α-Ω…

When Dean entered Michael’s office, Jo immediately stood up and followed him to his desk, where he dropped himself on the chair and sighed deeply.

“Dean, what the hell is going on? Where the hell were you last night and why has your dad been calling everyone to find out? And since when is he checking on you to see if you came to work? I hanged up the phone, after talking to him, like a minute ago.” Jo said, more curious than anything else.

“Believe it or not, Michael put him up to it. Turns out my loving husband doesn’t trust me one bit and thinks I’m cheating on him with Cas.” Dean said, rolling his eyes, before loosening his tie.

“Why would he think that all of the sudden? Did you do something? I thought you guys were okay. Weren’t you expecting his call, yesterday?” Jo asked, as she sat on one of the two chairs in front of Dean’s desk.

“Totally true. I was. But Michael seems to think that I wasn’t even at the company, yesterday, and that I left the party the other day with Cas and that we fucked. I mean, come on! He’s crazy! And now my dad is all over my case and we had a big fight last night and one again this morning.” Dean said and buried his face in his hands.

“I can’t believe this! Wait, where were you last night, anyway? John called Benny and me and I’m guessing Charlie and Ash too. Where did you go? None of us could reach you. You had left your phone at home.” Jo asked, while raising one eyebrow.

“I drove around for a few hours and then I went to see Cas.” Dean answered, without looking at her.

“You dog! So, you went to his apartment in the middle of the night? Dean, tell me the truth… Are Michael’s suspicions right at some level? What did you do last night with Cas?”

“Oh, shut your face! We didn’t do anything. I just needed someone to talk to and besides, I had to warn him about Michael’s ridiculous suspicions.” Dean said and got up from his desk and then went to stand by the window and started staring outside.

“So, you just talked and then you left?” Jo asked, looking at the back of his head. Dean turned around to face her and sighed.

“No, I… he let me sleep in his bed with him for a few hours”, he admitted, while blushing furiously.

“WHAT? OMG! Are you serious? You ‘slept’ in his bed with him? Who are you kidding? You definitely had sex with him!” Jo said, standing up and crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“No, I didn’t! We just slept, okay? Stop making up stories! It’s bad enough that someone lied to Michael and told him all this crap about me. The last thing I need is my own friends not believing me!” Dean protested. He really had enough of this shit.

“Okay, if you say so, I believe you”, Jo said apologetically and raised her hands in surrender.

“Thank you!” Dean replied and then Jo interrupted him again.

“Wait, you said someone lied to Michael?” she asked.

“Yeah… he told me that someone from the office told him that I never came to the company, yesterday and I’m starting to think a lot more than that.” Dean said and watched as Jo’s face lit up with realization.

“That son of a bitch!” she said and started moving around like a crazy person.

“What? Do you have any idea who it could be?” Dean asked anxiously.

“Don’t you? I’m surprised it wasn’t the first thing to come to your mind.” Jo said, staring at him. Dean kept looking at her, not understanding a thing.

“Adam, you idiot! I left him waiting in my office, yesterday, to come and get that file from you and Gabriel. Michael must have called, while I was gone. Don’t you remember that you told me you saw him afterwards and he smirked at you, right before you came back?” Jo said and Dean ran the memory again through his mind and then stared at her with his mouth hanging open.

“You’re welcome!” she said.

“Oh my God! You’re right! He had every reason to tell shit about me to Michael. The guy hates my guts. And he must have told him about me supposedly leaving the party with Cas.” Dean said as he gripped his hair with his hands.

“He’s a real piece of work, that one!” Jo commented.  
“What do you want to do? Do you want me to call Zachariah and tell him to come see you? You should tell him everything and get that asshole fired.” She said and was ready to do just that, when Dean stopped her.

“No, there is no point to do that now. Adam will just deny it and Zachariah will definitely not believe me. He hates me and he thinks I hate Adam, so naturally he’ll think I made this whole thing up, just to get him fired. No, we need proof and I need to tell Gabriel first. Gabriel knows everything about that asshole. He’ll help me.” Dean said and Jo nodded.

“Do you want me to call him, when he gets at the company? He’s not here yet, I think.”

“Yeah, okay. When Gabriel gets here, tell him that I need to see him. I have to call Cas and tell him too.” Dean said and went to sit back at his desk.

“Okay, I’ll be right outside”, Jo said, when she heard the phone on her desk ring.  
“Call me, if you need anything!” she said before leaving and Dean nodded.

…Α-Ω…

THREE WEEKS LATER…

Dean was staring outside the window for the fifth time this day. Today, Michael would be back and he would see him for the first time in a month. After that fight three weeks ago, they never spoke on the phone again and the only people Michael had kept contact with were Zachariah and his father, who was living with him, this whole time. Dean and the others never managed to get proof of Adam’s guilt, but they were all certain that he was to blame. Dean, had then told them that they might as well wait for Michael to return and that he would deal with it, then.

Cas and Gabriel visited him often at the apartment, because his father didn’t trust him enough to let him go see them and as for his friends, his father only allowed him to see the girls and made sure that Dean had no contact at all with Benny, on Michael’s orders. Of course, Dean did talk to him on the phone on occasion, but other than that, he wasn’t allowed in the company or in Michael’s apartment and Dean wasn’t allowed to go to his and Jo’s apartment either.

Dean sighed deeply as he looked at the time on the wall’s clock. Michael should have been here by now. His flight had landed two hours ago and Zachariah had told him that he had to wait for him in the office, so that they would leave together for their apartment. Suddenly, he heard voices coming from Jo’s office and not a minute later, Michael opened the door and entered; Zachariah hot on his heels.

Dean stared at him and Michael stared right back, while Zachariah kept rumbling nonsense.  
“Oh, Michael, I’m so glad you’re back. This has been one hell of a month. The deals you closed in England will benefit us a lot. You truly are a leader. This will get us back on our feet. The numbers keep increasing and…” Zachariah kept talking, while opening a file to show Michael the company’s latest achievements, but Michael ignored him and interrupted him.

“Zachariah, please not now. I’m tired from the trip. We’ll see everything in detail, tomorrow. I just wanted to come here, before I went home, to see, if everything is okay.” Michael said, turning to face Zachariah. Dean still hadn’t uttered a word and kept standing there, uncomfortably.

Zachariah spared him one disgusted glance and then turned back to Michael.  
“Yes, of course, Michael. Everything is more than fine… So, should we talk more at dinner, tonight?” he asked, getting ready to leave.

“Yeah, see you in a couple of hours, uncle.” Michael said and then he and Dean were finally left alone.

Dean kept staring at him, without speaking, as Michael removed his suit jacket and then went and sat on the couch, tilting his head back and closing his eyes.

“Are you just going to stand there? Come here.” He said then, without opening his eyes and Dean hesitantly obliged and went to sit by his side on the couch. Michael opened his eyes then and took hold of Dean’s hand.

“Hey…” he said and stared at Dean’s green eyes.

“Hey…” Dean answered and then looked away.

“How have you been?” Michael asked then, stroking Dean’s hand with his thumb. Dean just looked at the gesture and then back up at Michael’s eyes and spoke.

“Don’t you already know? Didn’t your spies tell you everything?” Dean said in a harsh tone.

Michael sighed, but did not answer Dean’s question. Instead he said,  
“Zachariah told me that you’ve been working long hours, lately. Thank you for taking the job seriously, Dean. I don’t know what I would have done without you in my absence.” Dean kept staring at their hands and said nothing.

“Is this bothering you?” Michael asked, motioning at their intertwined hands.

“No, I just don’t understand what this is all about. Last time we spoke we had a huge fight and we haven’t spoken for almost a month and now you act like nothing is wrong and you’re stroking my hand and crap. What’s the matter? You don’t think I cheated on you, anymore?” Dean asked him, while glaring at him.

“I never said I don’t still believe it. But, well, I decided that I don’t care, anyway. You’re mine and I decided that I want to leave that in the past. I’ll make sure it never happens again.” Michael said and pulled Dean in his arms. The Omega huffed an irritated sigh, but didn’t move.

“You’re unbelievable, you know that? Why are you such an ass? You know I didn’t sleep with Cas. Why are you still acting that you believe I did?” Dean said as his head rested on Michael’s chest.

“So, you think that I’m lying? That I already know that nothing happened between you and Cas?” Michael asked, amused, as he stroked Dean’s hair.

“Yes, you’re a fucking liar.” Dean answered and started crying, wetting Michael’s dress shirt.

The Alpha just kept stroking his hair and said nothing, until a few minutes later, when Dean’s tears had quieted down.   
“I invited the family to dinner, tonight. Dad will come as well and he’ll stay with us for a few days. He doesn’t know we’ve been fighting, so, please don’t say anything about this in front of him. I don’t want him to get upset. He was so worried after Cas got shot and I don’t want him to start worrying about our marriage too.” Michael said, while looking at the ceiling, with Dean still resting his head on his chest.

“Is that your plan? You’ll keep bringing our fathers to live with us, to keep me in check?” Dean said irritated.

“I didn’t ask him to come. He just told me that he would, because he missed us. What did you want me to say? No, dad, I can’t, because Dean and I are only pretending that we’re in a normal marriage?” he asked sarcastically.

Dean just sat back up and stared at him.  
“So, what? We’re never going to say anything to anyone about this? We’ll let our families think that we still want to sleep in the same bed and that we love each other? The agreement said that we could sleep in different rooms outside my heats.” Dean said and looked away.

“Is that what you want?” Michael asked, searching for his eyes.

“No… but it is what you want. You don’t believe me and even when you were here you were avoiding me. I don’t want to go back to that. I’d rather have my own room than stare at your back every night.” Dean said and lowered his head.

“I’ll let you sleep in the guest room, when my father leaves, but for now we’ll keep sleeping together”, the Alpha answered simply.

“Whatever…” Dean said.

“When is your next heat going to be?” Michael asked then.

“I don’t know. You know that they’re not regular yet. We’ll just have to wait to find out”, Dean said, while looking at his hands.

“I hope it’s soon. I’m really looking forward to becoming a dad”, Michael said, while smiling, but then noticed Dean’s sad expression.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“It’s just… this is not the way things were supposed to happen. Having a baby should be something that would make me happy and now all I can think about, is that it will be the product of a contract and not real love”, Dean said and started crying again.

“Just because you don’t love me, it doesn’t mean I don’t love you…” Michael said, while looking at his hands. Dean just stared at him, with tears still running down his face.

“I think we should go home, or we won’t be ready for dinner with the family.” Dean said, wiping away his tears and getting up from the couch.

“Yeah, just let me get my jacket…” Michael replied, getting up as well.  
This was going to be a very awkward evening.


	42. Awkward Is One Word for It...

When Michael and Dean returned home, most of the family was already there. Dean could hear his father’s laughter, coming from the living room, as he was talking to Chuck, while he himself stood near the front door. From what he understood, Cas and Gabriel were also there. It would be interesting to see how Michael would act around Cas, considering that he claimed he still believed that Dean and his brother had slept together again; although, he doubted it. Dean knew he was lying, if the way he had been holding him earlier was anything to go by. The Alpha just wanted to punish him, by telling him he didn’t believe him. Suddenly, Michael pulled him out of his thoughts, as he put his hand on Dean’s shoulder.

“Dean, I’m talking to you. Shall we go inside? Are you okay? You totally spaced out”, Michael told him, while staring in his eyes.

“Uh… yeah. Sorry about that. I’m ready”, the Omega answered.

“Good; let’s go, then”, Michael said and took Dean’s hand in his own to lead him to the living room.

Once they got there, everyone stopped talking with each other and they all turned to see the newcomers.

“Michael, son. You came back, at last”, Chuck said, as he got up from the couch to go greet his son and pull him into a hug.

“Hello, father. It’s good to be back. It’s so nice to see you”, Michael replied, as he hugged his father back.

“How was Europe?” Chuck asked, while smiling, after ending the hug.

“Humid?” Michael said and they all laughed.

“Yeah, I guess London will do that to you”, Chuck said and turned to Dean for the first time.

“And how is my beautiful Omega son in law doing? I’ve been told that you replaced Michael quite wonderfully, while he was gone. I’m so proud of you”, Chuck said and pulled Dean into a hug too.

“Thank you, father…” Dean said, as he hugged him back.

“I hope that now that the company is back on track, you’ll start trying for that grandchild of mine. Trust me, when I say this, I’ve waited too long to become a grandpa”, Chuck said and made Dean’s blood run cold in his veins. Michael, noticing Dean’s discomfort, decided to speak.

“Well, don’t worry, dad. You’ll be a grandfather really soon, anyway. Don’t forget that Cas is going to be a dad in a few months”, he said and Dean felt like there was a bucket of ice cold water also thrown on his head.

“Yeah, that’s true. I just wish that my grandkid would grow up into a loving home with both its parents”, Chuck muttered, the distaste obvious in his voice. Cas, listening to his comment, lowered his head and Gabriel gave him a comforting glance and patted him on the back.

As they sat down with the rest and after Michael gave surprisingly very loving hugs to both his brothers, even Cas –giving Dean the answer of how he was going to act around his brother- the Alpha noticed that they still weren’t all there.

“Where is uncle Zachariah? I thought that he would be here by now. He left a long time before we did”, he said and Chuck stepped in to answer.

“Oh, he called earlier, before you arrived and said that there were some last minute errands that he needed to run. He shouldn’t be too long”, he said.

Just then, they all heard the doorbell ring.  
“Speak of the devil”, Gabriel muttered and they all waited for Zachariah to make his appearance. But it wasn’t just Zachariah that came into view, a moment later, but also someone, who Dean thought would never step a foot in his home; Adam.

Gabriel and Cas looked at each other and then gave a worried glance at Dean, who seemed like he was about to commit murder. Zachariah spoke right then, breaking the silence.

“Hello, family! I hope, I’m not too late”, he said and greeted everyone with a wave of his hand.

“Hey, uncle. Who is this?” Michael asked, getting up from the couch, as he stared at the Omega in front of him that made his mouth salivate.

“This is Adam, Michael, my new and valuable assistant”, Zachariah said and then smirked at Dean, who stood frozen on the couch, boiling in his anger.

“Hello, Adam. I’ve heard so much about you. My uncle is very fond of you. He told me that you are the best assistant he’s ever had”, Michael said, as he extended his hand for a handshake. Adam took his hand and stared back into the Alpha’s eyes, his heart fluttering at the touch. The moment he’d been waiting for all his life was now.

“Hello, Michael”, he said and made Dean get up from the couch and go stand next to his husband. How dared he calling him Michael, like they were best pals or something? He had never even met him before. But well, of course, he had opened his mouth to him to tell all those lies about Dean.

Dean’s appearance next to him pulled Michael out of his trance and he withdrew his hand from Adam’s, making the Omega pout and then glare at Dean.

“What the hell is he doing here, Zachariah? This is a family dinner”, Dean said, glaring daggers at both Zachariah and Adam. Chuck and John looked at each other in alarm, but also curiously and Sam sighed next to his father, knowing all too well about Adam. Cas, on the other hand, stood frozen in his seat, watching horrified the scene in front of him.

“Dean, don’t be so impolite to our guest”, Michael said immediately, turning to look at Dean. Dean just stared at him, but before he could say anything, Gabriel was at his side, stepping into the conversation, before it got heated up.

“How’s it going, uncle? Adam? Is there a reason why you came together? Aren’t you done with work for today? Uncle, you’ve been working too hard, lately”, Gabriel said, resting his arm on Dean’s shoulder.

“Well, I guess responsibilities never end, but the reason Adam is here is that I’ve been dragging him everywhere, today, and I thought that I should at least make sure he has a proper meal. Was it wrong of me to invite him, Michael?” Zachariah asked, as Dean gave him his best death glare.

“Of course not, uncle. It’s a pleasure to have Adam here with us. Forgive Dean, he’s used to being the only Omega”, Michael said, smiling at Adam and causing Dean to stare at him with his mouth hanging open. Gabriel just pulled him aside then and whispered in his ear to calm him down.

“Don’t cause a scene, Dean. It will only harm you. You will tell Michael everything you want to tell him, later, when you two are alone. Be the bigger person here. Don’t give Adam the satisfaction to have a fight with your husband in front of him”, he said and Dean looked at him, nodding in defeat.

“So, shall we go to the dining room, now that everyone is here?” Michael said and all of them started to head towards the dining room area, when he felt a hand on his arm. When he turned around, he saw it was his father.

“Michael, can I see you for a moment in your office?” Chuck asked in a low voice and Michael nodded, following him in the library. Once they were inside and the door was closed behind them, Chuck spoke again.

“What was that all about?” he asked in a serious tone.

“What do you mean?” Michael said, playing dumb.

“You know exactly what I mean. Be careful, Michael. Don’t make me remind you that you are a married man. We have enough failed marriages in this family, as it is”, he said, as Michael swallowed nervously.

“Don’t worry, dad. Dean and I are fine”, Michael said.

“Are you, really? ‘Cause it didn’t seem that way. Why are you undermining him in front of this other Omega? You hurt his feelings. And what the hell is going on between those two?” Chuck asked.

“Dean isn’t Adam’s biggest fan from what I gathered, but nothing is wrong. He just doesn’t like him so much. I think he’s jealous of him, because Adam is educated and well, let’s face it; Dean is not”, Michael said, trying to pass everything as if it was nothing.

“You listen to me, son; I don’t want to hear you say that ever again. Dean is a smart young man and the only reason he isn’t as educated as Adam is, is because he was pushed into the married life, early on. It’s not his fault and you should show him more respect. I didn’t like the look on his face one bit, when you were being sarcastic against him. You’d better fix this now, before it’s too late”, Chuck said in an angry voice.

“Dad, as I told you before, Dean and I are fine. Don’t worry. I just didn’t like him insulting a guest in our home and especially, when that guest is someone working for me. I didn’t want Adam to feel unwelcome, just because Dean is jealous of him”, Michael said.

“Even if that is true, and the only reason that Dean is acting like this is because he’s jealous, you still should put your husband above the other one. If Dean isn’t comfortable around him, then fire him. Dean is more important”, Chuck said, as Michael looked at him disbelievingly.

“Fire him? Because of Dean’s childlike behavior? I don’t think so, dad. I couldn’t possibly let this man lose his job, just because Dean is acting like a spoiled kid. Uncle Zachariah has told me that Adam needs this job to pay for his education and anyway, didn’t you hear what uncle told me? That he is the best assistant he’s ever had?” Michael asked.

“So, you’re telling me that you did this for Zachariah’s sake? To not make him lose the best assistant he’s ever had? Bullshit, Michael. It wasn’t just the look on Dean’s face that I saw. I saw the one on yours too. Do you fancy this other Omega? Answer me, Michael”, Chuck said angrily. Michael just sighed deeply and looked away.

“Dad, you’re overreacting. Okay, I admit that Adam looks nice and smells nice, but I would never try and make a move on him. I’m with Dean”, he said, looking back at his father.

“I hope that’s true and that you’ll remember what you just said to me. I’m warning you, Michael; if I find out that you cheated on Dean with this Adam, I will never forgive you. I will never accept anyone but Dean as your husband. Do I make myself clear?” Chuck said and Michael stared at him for a moment, before he finally answered.

“Yes, father. Very…”

“Then, I suppose we can go back and enjoy our dinner with the rest of the family. And Adam… just for this once. He’ll never step a foot in here again. This is Dean’s home and he has every right to decide who is welcome and who isn’t. I don’t have the right to tell you who you can hire or fire in your company. I left that all to your judgment, when I handed our business to you and I never regretted giving you the reins; but in this home, it’s not only you, who’s in charge. Dean is also and you should respect his wishes. Understand?” Chuck asked, waiting for Michael’s response.

“Of course, father…” Michael said and lowered his head.

“Let’s go, then”, his father told him and both of them left the room.

…Α-Ω…

Once they got to the dining room, Michael -sparing one last glance at his father- went to sit at Dean’s side and leaned towards him to whisper in his ear.

“Sorry, Dean. Please, don’t be mad at me for letting Adam stay. I know how you feel about him, but I promise this is the last time he comes into our home”, he said in a low voice and then looked at Dean’s eyes apologetically.

The Omega looked back into his eyes and then nodded, making Michael smile at him and give him a sweet kiss on his cheek. Adam, looking at the two, felt his blood boil in his veins. When they pulled apart, Dean saw the look on Adam’s face and smirked at him and out of nowhere, crashed his lips against Michael’s in a heated kiss, leaving the Alpha breathless, staring at him. Cas felt his heart drop at the sight, but it was only Gabriel, who saw his pained expression.

The evening went on with small talk and mostly stories about Michael’s time in London and they all seemed to be having a good time. As for the almost fight at the beginning of the evening, it seemed to have been long forgotten. Only that it wasn’t. Dean kept being extra affectionate towards Michael to get on Adam’s nerves and succeeding every time, making his father in law smile at his possessive behavior and Cas lower his head every time in jealousy, without being noticed by anyone but Gabriel and perhaps Dean’s younger brother, Sam. As for Michael, he kept stealing glances towards Adam –who was doing the same- but feeling his father’s eyes always on him, he tried to be affectionate towards Dean as well. His dad had to be convinced that everything was good between them.

Around the time that dessert came, however, Zachariah -getting tired of Dean leaning against Michael all evening, without letting them have a serious conversation for more than five minutes- decided to ask the Omega about his plans, now that Michael was back. And he wasn’t trying to hide at all the fact that he was glad that Dean wouldn’t be at the company anymore.

“So, Dean, -now that you have nothing to do again, since Michael is back- what are you planning to do with all this spare time?” Zachariah asked and smirked at the Omega.

John, noticing his son’s discomfort at the question, decided to answer for him.  
“Well, Dean is going to come and work with me, of course. We were planning on doing that, earlier, but he had to cover for Michael, so he couldn’t”, John said, turning everyone’s attention on him.

“You mean at the garage, where you work? As a mechanic?” Zachariah asked, amused.  
“Well, Dean, won’t you look at that! From the head of a company worth of millions, you managed to demote yourself to a simple mechanic, just in one day”, Zachariah said and laughed, leaving Dean feeling embarrassed. Adam smirked at him, while Michael said nothing, as he was looking at the opposite wall, emptying quickly his glass of wine.

“I don’t think there is any shame in work, Zachariah”, Chuck told his brother.  
“If that is what Dean wants to do, then so be it. Who are we to question that?” Zachariah was about to give him a reply, when Gabriel suddenly spoke.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that”, he started to say and everyone turned to look at him curiously.  
“For the past month, I’ve been working closely with Dean and he really helped me out on some important contracts. I believe that he’s a natural at this and that he was really starting to get the hang of it. So, I wanted to propose to you, Michael, -if, of course, Dean is on board for this- to let Dean be my partner at work. God knows I need all the extra help I can get, now that Lucifer’s responsibilities have fallen upon me. I could even train him to get our brother’s position permanently and all on his own in the future, since we never hired anyone to replace him. What do you think?” Gabriel asked and made Dean look at Michael expectantly. It was obvious that he really wanted Michael to accept. What Gabriel had just said was true and Dean was really starting to like working at the company. In addition, he and Gabriel had become great friends, because of all the time they spent together. And he, of course, wasn’t planning on letting that hyena, Adam, get any closer to Michael and fill his mind with poison, if he had a way to stop it.

“I… I don’t know. I’m not sure, if that is what Dean wants. I think I’ve already asked him too much by leaving him in my place for a whole month. Maybe I should just let him work with his father, like he wanted to in the first place”, he answered, not looking once at Dean.

“Michael, son, Dean is standing right beside you. I think you can ask him and let him decide for himself, if he wants to work at the company with Gabriel or not. I’m sure that John wouldn’t be opposed to it, if Dean decided that he wanted to work for the company. Would you, John?” Chuck said and turned to look at John.

“Of course not. I just want Dean to do something with his life, other than just being a husband. I’m glad to hear that he was doing so well at work. I had no idea”, John said and both he and Chuck turned to look at Dean, waiting for his response.

Michael just refilled his glass with wine and sighed deeply, without looking at Dean, before he took a long sip of his drink. Dean kept looking at him nervously, but seeing Chuck’s expectant eyes, he finally responded.

“I… The truth is that I really liked working with Gabriel and I wouldn’t be opposed to keep working with him, if, of course, Michael agrees”, said Dean, while looking at Michael.

“Fine, if that’s what he wants…” Michael said reluctantly, after a moment of silence. It was so apparent that he wanted to say no, that Cas just wanted to hit him on the head. What the hell was his problem? Everyone else could see it too that he just said yes, because he was cornered. Gabriel was just glad that everyone agreed and he thought it would be best to break the silence that followed Michael’s answer by congratulating Dean.

“Congratulations, partner. Get ready for a lot of work!” he said and raised his glass to Dean, before taking a sip. The Omega just smiled at him, as everyone, apart from Michael, Zachariah and Adam, raised their glasses to him, too.

“Well, these are great news. And I think that this position will be much safer for him, since he’s trying to get pregnant”, Chuck also commented, causing Adam to choke on his drink and turn everyone’s attention on him.

“Oh, are you alright, Adam?” said Chuck, trying to hide a smirk. He didn’t like this Omega at all.

“Yes, just my drink got in the wrong pipe…” he said, trying to compose himself.  
“I didn’t know that Michael and Dean were trying to have a baby…” he went on, after a moment.

“Well, of course, what did you expect? They’re a newly wedded couple. It’s only natural that they want children. And I don’t see why you should know this. You’re just an employee”, Chuck said coldly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to impose… I just…” started Adam, embarrassed, but Michael interrupted him.

“Adam, you don’t need to apologize for anything. Forgive my father, if he offended you. And anyway, Dean and I aren’t really trying on a baby. At least not until his next heat. We’ll see how things go… We are still very young. We have all the time in the world ahead of us”, Michael said and then emptied his glass, once more, as things were getting weird again at the table and everyone had stopped talking.

Chuck, then, broke the silence.  
“I think we should all get going. Me to my room and the rest to your homes. We should leave Michael and Dean have a moment to themselves. Michael must be really tired from his journey, anyway. Isn’t that right, Michael?” he asked, looking at his son with that look that ordered to go along with it.

“Yes, father. I should go lie down with Dean. It has been a very tiring day. Thank you all for coming to dinner”, Michael said, getting the hint.  
“It was nice meeting you, Adam”, he went on, as he got up from his seat, glancing at Adam for one last time.  
“Dean, please say goodnight to everyone…” he said next, turning to look at the Omega and then leaving the room.

“Uh… goodnight, I guess. Bye, dad… Sammy”, Dean told his dad and his brother, while waving at them goodbye.  
“Father, I’ll see you in the morning…” he said to Chuck and then at last he turned to Cas and Gabriel, “I’ll see you, guys, at work”, leaving only Adam and Zachariah without a goodbye, before following Michael out of the room.


	43. In the Heat of the Moment

Dean closed the door of their bedroom behind him, as Michael started removing his shirt. The Omega stared at the naked flesh of the Alpha’s back, as the shirt was dropped to the floor and then soon his eyes roamed downwards as the dress pants followed the shirt and pooled around his ankles. Michael stepped out of them then and when he turned around to pick all of his clothes up from the floor, he noticed Dean standing frozen at the door, staring, and after a moment he smelled the Omega’s arousal.

“Wow, you must really like what you see”, said Michael, smirking, but not really in the mood.

Dean felt embarrassed by his husband’s comment and his cheeks flushed bright red, but he knew he couldn’t deny what the Alpha could apparently smell. The aroma of his arousal had hit him too.  
“It’s just been too long… more than a month and my body doesn’t really agree with it… You know that when two people are mated, they crave for each other’s body. I can’t help it, it’s biology”, he said, trying to compose himself, without looking at Michael in the eyes.

“Oh, has it really been so long? I know it has for me, but…” Michael started to say, but Dean interrupted him.

“Oh, shut up… you know I didn’t have sex with anyone, while you were gone. Stop acting like such an asshole”, Dean said and ran his hands furiously through his hair.

“Okay, fine… If you say so. Can we please go to sleep now? I’m really tired”, Michael said and, without waiting for Dean’s response, climbed into bed and covered himself with the bedding, while turning off the light coming from the lamp on his nightstand.

Dean couldn’t believe that Michael was ignoring him like that. He had smelled his arousal and all he did was make a snarky comment about it and then nothing. There was a time, when he couldn’t resist him at all and that wasn’t that long ago. How could everything turn out this way? Furiously, he began undressing himself and when he was wearing nothing but his birth-suit, he climbed in bed behind Michael and then hugged him, bringing his front close to Michael’s back. The Alpha was trying so hard to ignore him, but then Dean smelled his arousal in the air and Michael couldn’t hide the way Dean was making him feel, anymore. Dean began kissing the back of his neck and Michael couldn’t help but moan deeply in his throat at the touch and before he could control himself, he turned around and claimed his mate’s lips in a passionate kiss, causing Dean to smile.

“Don’t be so fucking cocky about it”, Michael said, as he continued kissing him with everything he had, licking inside Dean’s mouth and then brought his mate to sit on top of him.

“It’s pointless to resist me… You know you love me too much to do that… You want me”, Dean said between kisses, as he started grinding his naked ass on Michael’s erect clothed cock.

“God, you smell so good… Why are you doing this to me?” Michael said, while moaning in Dean’s mouth. Soon, he started to move his hips for more friction, getting wet by Dean’s slick on his boxer briefs.

“Because I want to… Because I am your fucking mate and no one else is…” Dean murmured, while biting Michael’s lips. Then, in a fast move, he pulled Michael’s underwear down and freed his mate’s penis, which was already leaking with pre-cum from the tip.

“Dean…” Michael started to say, but before he could finish, Dean shut him up with a kiss and then slowly lowered his ass on Michael’s dick and took it inside him to the base. Michael moaned loudly at the feeling.  
“Guh… uh, Dean… uh…” Michael kept saying, breathing hard, as Dean started riding him fast.  
“Slow down… I’m gonna come… I… uh… I don’t want to knot you… uh… god… get off… uh…” Michael was saying, between moans and hard breaths, but Dean was hearing none of it and kept riding him like his life depended on it. Michael tried to grab him by his waist and pull him off or at least slow him down, before his knot grew, but Dean was surprisingly strong and the Alpha could do nothing more than lie back helpless.

“I missed you so damn much…” Dean said, as he picked up the pace, making Michael a writhing mess under him.

“Dean… get off or I’ll knot you…” Michael said again, breathing hard.

“Oh, I’m counting on it…” the Omega said and soon felt the Alpha’s knot catching on his rim, and not long after, he couldn’t pull off anymore and Michael’s seed was spreading inside him, causing him to fall breathless on his husband’s chest.

A few moments later and after their breathing as well as their heartbeat had calmed down, Michael finally spoke.  
“Why did you do that? I told you I didn’t want to knot you. Now we’re gonna be stuck together for at least half an hour”, the Alpha said, while staring at the ceiling.

“I know. That’s exactly why I did it. Because we need to talk and I don’t want you walking out on me again or ignore me, like you usually do”, Dean muttered on his neck. Michael just rolled his eyes and then pushed Dean on his back and put himself on top of the Omega.

“So, that’s the only reason you did it?” He asked and then noticed Dean’s still erect penis, between his legs.  
“What the hell? You didn’t even come?” he asked and stared at Dean’s eyes accusingly.

“It’s okay… I don’t need to. I just want to talk to you. Leave it…” Dean said and slapped Michael’s hand away, as he tried to take him in hand. Michael dropped frustrated on the Omega’s chest and sighed deeply.

“So, what do you want to talk about?” he asked, then.

“Why the hell did you think that I was cheating on you with Cas? Who the hell told you such a thing? And why did you change your mind about it? Don’t lie to me, ‘cause I can see that you don’t believe that anymore”, Dean told him seriously and then waited patiently for his mate’s response.

“No one told me… I just heard about that party your friends were throwing and that Cas was there. I thought that you two… Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I was wrong, so, there’s no point talking about it, anymore”, Michael said and then got more comfortable on Dean and buried his face in Dean’s neck.

“Yes, it matters and don’t lie to me. I know someone opened their big mouth and told you a bunch of lies and I also know who it is… I just want you to admit it”, Dean said, while circling his arms around Michael and holding him in place.

“Dean, it doesn’t matter… no one lied to me. You just gave them the wrong idea. No one outright told me that you cheated on me…” Michael murmured, closing his eyes and relaxing in the Omega’s arms.

“But someone did tell you something or you wouldn’t accuse me like that and they also told you that I wasn’t at the company, when I clearly was and I was waiting for you to call me all day”, Dean complained and used his hand to lift Michael’s chin up and make him look at him.

“Whoever told me was just misinformed. I don’t want to talk about it any longer. I asked uncle Zachariah and he confirmed that you were there, so, please just… forget about it and forgive me for accusing you about that”, Michael said, while staring at Dean’s green eyes.

“So, you still don’t want to admit that it was fucking Adam and you’re still trying to protect him, huh?” Dean told him, then, and Michael looked away uneasily and afterwards buried his face again in Dean’s neck.  
“Whatever, Michael… I just want to know one last thing… Why did you change your mind about me cheating on you?” the Omega asked then and waited patiently for his mate’s response.

Michael contemplated his answer and then spoke.  
“Two days after I got stolen, I finally heard all my voicemails on my new phone and I heard yours too, from that night… After that, I knew you couldn’t have possibly cheated on me on that same night. That is why I changed my mind…” he murmured and then closed his eyes again.

Not much later, tears started rolling down Dean’s cheeks and it wasn’t long before they ran down on his neck too and Michael tasted them on his lips.

“Please, Dean, why are you crying?” the Alpha said, wiping his face from Dean’s tears.

“Why wouldn’t you call me all this time? I needed to talk to you. Hear your voice… know that you were okay. Do you know how frustrating it was, learning your news from my father? If you knew that nothing had happened, why did you let me suffer, thinking that you still believed all those lies?” Dean asked in a pained voice.

“We needed some time apart… and I was right. My head was clearer after a few days. My marriage wasn’t the only thing on my mind and I found the strength to work, which was why I went to London in the first place. You started working hard too… it was a good thing for both of us”, Michael said and moved to his side, pulling Dean along with him.

Dean just stared at him in the eyes, before he spoke.  
“It wasn’t therapeutic for me, if that’s what you’re saying. I felt like shit, all this time. Throwing myself at work was a distraction, but it didn’t prevent me from feeling terribly.”

“I’m sorry, but I needed the distance…” Michael said and lowered his eyes.

“And now that you’re here? Where are we standing? I mean… we just had sex after so long… we…” Dean started to say, but Michael interrupted him.

“What happened tonight was a mistake. I wasn’t ready for this, but you made it happen, anyway. If I could help it, I wouldn’t be knotted to you, right now. Dean… you can’t just make everything go away with sex. You’re beautiful and of course, I can’t resist you, when you’re throwing yourself at me like that, but… we agreed on something, before I left and we both signed the papers, so I don’t really understand why you’re making everything so difficult, now. You signed the agreement…” the Alpha told him, while staring at his eyes.

Dean looked away, hurt and then he spoke.  
“I know I did, I just can’t help it… I don’t like this. I don’t like it when you’re being so cold to me. I don’t want us to fight. If we’re gonna have a child, I want it to grow up in a steady and loving home…”

“Dean, I know I said earlier at the office that I can’t wait to be a dad, but we can put it off, if you want. If you really want to save our marriage and become a normal couple again, ignoring the contract, we can wait. We don’t have to try now to get pregnant. In spite of what my father says”, Michael said and stroked the side of Dean’s body.

“Is that the only reason? Or are you having second thoughts about having a child with me?” Dean asked, narrowing his eyes.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Michael asked, taken aback, removing his hand from Dean’s body.

“I saw the way you were looking at Adam, I’m not blind… Do you want to replace me now that you found another Omega? I could tell he was more than willing. If he was a cartoon, his eyes would turn into hearts, every time he was looking at you” Dean answered angrily.

“You’re out of your mind… Why the hell do you hate Adam so much and you keep on making up stories?” Michael accused him.

“Is that so? I’m out of my mind and making up stories?” Dean asked, disbelievingly.

“Dean, just stop, okay? This is exactly why I wanted us to sign the agreement. I’m tired of this… We’re either fighting about Cas or now about your fantasies. I can’t take it anymore… And for your information, normal people don’t get their mates to knot them, so that they can just start yelling at them without giving them a way out. Let’s just sleep it off, please… My stupid knot hasn’t gone down one bit. I don’t want to fight with you, while we’re like this”, Michael told him, pleadingly, but also fed up.

“Fine, let’s just sleep. But you’re kidding yourself, if you think that this conversation is over”, Dean said and then held his hands close to his body, between himself and Michael. Michael gave him no reply and just covered them both with the bedding, closing his eyes, frustrated. It wasn’t long before they were both asleep.

…Α-Ω…

It was to the sound of an alarm clock that Dean woke up to. Opening his eyes slowly, he found himself in Michael’s arms and even though, they were long parted, after they had intercourse, the previous night, their legs were still intertwined. Michael stirred, while waking up and his eyes landed tiredly on Dean, when he opened them. Dean kept on staring at him, but Michael said nothing and just rolled around to turn off the alarm. Then he lied on his back and stared at the ceiling.

“Are you going to come now at the company with me? Or are you planning on coming later? You can sleep in, if you’re still tired. It’s not like I’m gonna fire you. My father would eat me alive, if I did”, the Alpha said, after a moment.

“No, I’m not going to take advantage of the fact that I’m married to you. I’m going to work as hard as everybody else. Besides, Gabriel is counting on me. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I swear you won’t regret it. I know you didn’t want to hire me”, Dean told him, then, and lowered his gaze sadly.

“The reason I didn’t want you in the company, Dean, is that I need some distance from you. I’m barely at the house and yet we’re always fighting, when I see you. I don’t want to have to deal with this at the place where I work, too. I have to be focused’, Michael reasoned and then got up from the bed.

“You can go have breakfast, while I’m in the shower and then you can shower too. I don’t want us to be late. I have a lot of things to do, today”, he said and then vanished inside the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind him. Dean took a deep breath and then threw the pillow over his head.

…Α-Ω…

Once they reached the company, Michael headed for his office and Dean followed him, because he wanted to tell Jo that he would be working with them, too. And also, because he wanted to introduce her to Michael, since she wasn’t at the office, when Michael had arrived the previous day, because it was late.

As they got inside the office, Jo stood up from her desk to greet them.  
“Good morning, Mr. Novak, Dean”, she said and smiled at both of them. Michael gave a quick glance at her and without further ado, went straight to business.

“You’re Joanna, right? I want a list with every phone call that you received while I was gone, at my office, in an hour. Tell Zachariah to come now, because there are a lot of things that we need to discuss and bring the files of every contract that was signed during this past month in my office in ten minutes. I drink my coffee black. I wouldn’t waste any time, if I were you, Miss Harvelle. Unless you want to lose your job, which Dean so generously gave you, without consulting with anyone first. Also, I’d like to inform you that it is not a normal thing to do, for an employee to leave before their own boss, even if it is after the company’s hours”, he said, leaving Jo staring at him frozen at her place. Dean was also looking uncomfortably at her, until Michael turned to look at him.

“Dean, is there a reason why you’ve followed me here? Didn’t you have some work to do? Gabriel must be expecting you. I thought you said that you wanted to be treated like everyone else. Leave now. If you want to talk to Miss Harvelle you can do it, during your lunch break”, he said and after sparing one last look at Jo, he entered his office and closed the door behind him.

Jo was still staring at the door with her mouth hanging open, before she turned to Dean, who was also looking shocked.  
“Dean, what the hell did you do to him and he’s that pissed? I thought he was going to murder me. What a great start with the boss. He already hates me. I knew taking this job was a bad idea…” she said in a low voice and then placed her hand dramatically on her forehead.

“I… Sorry, Jo. I’ll better go find Gabriel. I don’t want you to pay the price, because he’s mad at me. I’ll talk to you later, okay?” he said, before he turned to leave.

“Yeah, okay. Bye, Dean”, she muttered and then threw herself at work.

…Α-Ω…

When Dean reached Gabriel’s office, he found him drinking coffee with Cas. The moment Gabriel noticed him, his expression changed.  
“Well, I was hoping that you would be a little happier at our first day of working together. What’s the matter? Did someone murder your cat?” Gabriel asked, as Cas also turned to look at Dean, concerned.

“I don’t have a cat…” Dean said and then went to sit next to Cas.  
“Hey, Cas…” he said and smiled softly at the Alpha.

“Hello, Dean. Is something wrong?” Cas asked him in return.

“Not really. Michael was just moody earlier and he sort of threatened Jo that she would lose her job, if she didn’t do everything he asked of her right. I don’t think he likes the fact that I hired her. He doesn’t think she is competent enough”, Dean answered.

“Well, Michael is a little bitch, but what is new, really?” Gabriel commented.

Dean just rolled his eyes at that and then turned to Cas.  
“So, Cas, you’re back at work for good, huh?” he asked.

“Yeah, it was about time, too. My health is back to normal and my therapist agreed that it would do me good to get back”, Cas informed him. Cas was seeing a psychologist for the past two and a half weeks, not taking up on Dean’s offer to let him become his personal therapist. He needed someone objective to talk to and tell not only about those weird dreams he was having, but also about the way he felt about Dean, how he felt about becoming a parent and other things like that.

“It’s good to hear, buddy”, Dean said and patted him on his shoulder.

“Yeah… yeah, it’s great, but we really need to get down to business”, Gabriel said, interrupting them.

“Oh, Cas is leaving? He hasn’t even finished his coffee yet”, Dean reasoned.

“Actually, no. Cas is going to be helping us out, since the things I have planned for us to do this week have to do with his line of work. I figured you wouldn’t mind”, Gabriel told him, while raising an eyebrow.

“No, man. Of course not. That’s great…” Dean said enthusiastically.

“I had no doubt…” Gabriel muttered and smirked, getting a glare from Cas in return.

…Α-Ω…

Michael was looking at the contracts Jo had brought him, when Zachariah finally showed up, along with Adam.

“Michael, sorry for the delay, but Adam and I had a lot of work to do. This kid is really a diamond. You have no idea how much he has helped me over this past month. It was a good thing for me that Dean didn’t hire him as your assistant, in the end”, Zachariah said, as he sat on one of the chairs in front of Michael’s desk and Adam sat on the other.

“Well, I can always take him for myself, so don’t tempt me, uncle”, Michael said and Zachariah laughed.  
“So, how are you doing, Adam? I’m sorry, if my family wasn’t really welcoming, yesterday, at dinner”, Michael went on, turning to look at Adam.

“No, it’s okay. I should have declined your uncle’s offer, anyway. I knew that Dean wouldn’t be happy to see me. I’m sorry, if I caused you any trouble with your husband”, Adam answered and smiled at Michael.

“You don’t need to apologize, Adam. Dean has the tendency to overreact. But everything is okay. If you have work to do, you can go back to your office. I don’t want to keep you from it. I’m sure my uncle and I will be fine for the time being. You won’t be needed”, Michael started saying, but Zachariah interrupted him.

“Actually, Michael, the reason Adam is here is because he will have to take my place. I have a meeting that I had totally forgotten about and I can’t be here. Adam knows everything that you’ll need to ask and he can fill me in later with the details of your conversation. I hope you don’t mind. Perhaps, you and I could talk more at lunch”, Zachariah said and got up to leave.

“Uh, sure… I mean, I was hoping that I could talk to you, but if you’re sure that Adam knows everything that is needed, you can go”, Michael replied and his uncle nodded, before leaving the room.

 

It was four hours later of going through the contracts together and Michael felt exhausted.  
“Oh, God… I’m rusty. I haven’t done this for some time and I already feel tired”, Michael complained and rubbed his temples soothingly.

“We can take a break. I know this is a lot… You look like you could use a good night’s sleep. Didn’t you sleep well, yesterday? You went to bed, early”, Adam said and chastised himself internally for opening his big mouth.

Michael stared at him for a moment, but then he spoke, laughing.  
“Yeah, well… sleep wasn’t really in Dean’s plans, so…” At his words Adam felt his cheeks flush bright red and tried to look anywhere but at Michael. The Alpha, of course, noticed his reaction.

“I’m sorry, Adam. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable”, he told him.

“No, it’s okay… really”, Adam answered, still not looking at him. He was trying so hard to hide his jealousy, but he really wasn’t doing himself any favors. Michael stared at him once more and then he spoke.

“Adam, can I ask you a question?” he began and Adam nodded.  
“Do you… do you, perhaps, like me? Are you attracted to me?” he asked.

Adam met his eyes and then averted his just as fast.  
“I… I’m sorry, I never wanted you to see that… I’m such an idiot. Forgive me, Michael… I swear it won’t affect my work, but… How could I not like you? I’m just an Omega and you are such a strong and handsome Alpha… Forgive me…” he said, feeling more heat rising on his cheeks.

“Adam, relax. It’s okay… You don’t have to worry about your job. I just needed to know whether all of this was only in my head or not. Believe me, when I say that if I didn’t already have a mate, I wouldn’t think twice about taking you as mine”, Michael told him, then, causing the Omega to look up in surprise.

“Why have you taken Dean as your mate? It’s obvious that he doesn’t love you. He cheated on you and you know it. How could you forgive him that?” Adam asked, forgetting all about who he was talking to.

“Adam, you know as well as I do that Dean never cheated on me and that that party was nothing like what you described. I talked to my brother Gabriel and he told me all about that night”, Michael said and Adam froze at his words.

“You know I lied to you?” Adam asked.

“Yes, I do. And now I know why. Well, I already suspected, but…”

“And you don’t hate me?” Adam asked him, then.

“No, Adam. I don’t… You like me and you got jealous. I get it…”

“You said that if you didn’t have a mate, you would want to be with me. Does that mean that you like me, too?” Adam asked, hopefully.

“Adam, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The thing is that I do have a mate. That hasn’t changed. Dean and I may be having our problems right now and that was before I even left for London, but I really need to give us another chance, before even considering doing anything with someone else. If something changes, you’ll be the first to know, but… please, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. Right now, the only one that can exist in my life is Dean…” Michael said, seriously.

“Of course, I understand… Forgive me…” Adam said and lowered his head sadly.

“No need… Let’s just get back to work, okay?” Michael told him then and the Omega nodded.

So, the cat was really out of the bag.


	44. The Beginning of the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! So, firstly, I really liked the 9th episode of Supernatural I watched a few hours ago. I love the fact that they brought Claire back! But whatever, back to the fiction stuff! LOL! :-P
> 
> Today, I finally decided how things would go from now on in this fic and for the first time, I made a summary of the next few chapters. I decided that I would turn this into a series and that the two endings I've promised will be the other two parts. This first part will end with a cliffhanger and technically, it will be able to stand on its own, but the happy ending will be in the next two parts. I will try and write them simultaneously, but they will take a life of their own and they will be a lot different from one another. So, you can choose to read either of them or both. "Part 2" will be all Destiel and "Part 3" will have the Michael/Dean pairing.
> 
> I've already decided everything about this first part and there are only a few chapters to go. Hopefully, I'll be able to post all of them, soon and then, I'll start writing the other two parts, which like I said earlier, will be two different stories with also multiple chapters!
> 
> So, enough of that! I hope you enjoy this chapter and I believe the title says it all! XOXO

Around noon, when it was time for everyone’s lunch break, Dean went to Michael’s office to get Jo. He, Gabriel and Cas were planning to go to that little bistro across the street that they usually went to and he wanted her to come along. Once he got there, however, Michael, Zachariah and Adam were just getting out of his office and they all met in front of Jo’s desk.

Michael looked at Dean expectantly, thinking that he was there for him. Dean, on the other hand, froze for a moment, ‘cause he wasn’t planning on seeing them there.

“Uh, hey…” he said, nervously.

“Hey, Dean. We’re heading out for lunch. Care to join us?” Michael asked and smiled at him, while Zachariah rolled his eyes in disgust. The last thing he wanted was Dean to come with them. Adam tried to keep a straight face and show none of his feelings.

“Uh, actually, I already have plans with the guys and I’m just here to get Jo. Enjoy your meal”, Dean replied and watched as Michael’s face became serious again.

“What guys?” he asked, not hiding his distaste.

“Cas and Gabriel… why, is there a problem?” Dean asked him in return.

“No… I… I just thought that perhaps you’d want to come and eat with me”, Michael admitted and Dean nodded in understanding, but didn’t change his mind.

“Yeah, well, I just figured that you guys would want to talk about business and stuff and I didn’t want to get in the way. Also, I didn’t want to leave Jo alone. We’re used to eating together, along with your brothers, during our lunch breaks.

“Right…” Michael murmured.  
“So, how’s everything going with you and Gabriel?” he asked him, then.

“Uh, great. Cas is actually helping us out for this week and we’ve made a lot of progress”, Dean said and Michael’s eyes darkened.

“Cas is helping you?” the Alpha asked, without hiding how little he liked the idea.

“Yes, is that a problem?” Dean asked him, then, carefully.

“No, no problem at all”, Michael said coldly and then turned to Jo.  
“Miss Harvelle, I expect you to be here in half an hour. Don’t be late, wasting your time with Dean”, he said seriously and with the same cold tone he had used before with Dean, and then, went past the Omega, ignoring him completely and out of the room. Zachariah just smirked at them both and followed the Alpha with Adam, who was unusually subtle.

The moment they were all gone and out of hearing range, Jo finally spoke.  
“And I thought that we were getting somewhere. That we were starting to make progress”, she complained and buried her face in her hands.

“Sorry, Jo. I guess, I just pissed him off again. Shall we go?” he asked her and she nodded, getting up from her desk.

…Α-Ω…

The bistro they chose to go to was the place where almost all of the company employees went to for lunch, because it was the closest and also the best one around; so, it wasn’t really a surprise that when they reached it, Michael, Zachariah and Adam were sitting there too, at a table in the corner.

As they entered, Michael’s eyes fell immediately on Dean and he kept watching him, ignoring what Zachariah was telling him at the moment, until the Omega and his companions sat at a table not too far from them, but near enough, so that he could see them. Afterwards, he kept stealing glances their way.

Once they were at their seats, Gabriel noticed Michael looking towards them and spoke.  
“Why is Michael looking at you like that? Didn’t you tell him that you were going to eat here?” he asked Dean.

“No, he just wanted me to go with him, but I told him I already had plans. The last thing I needed right now was to go have lunch with Zachariah. I know he’s your uncle, but, no offense, I can’t stand him for more than a few seconds. Plus, Adam is with them. If I went, I’d only end up punching him in the face”, Dean said, as he opened the menu.

“None taken. It’s no news that I despise him too. And I’m sure, Cas agrees with me”, Gabriel said and then paused.  
“I don’t know why you keep bothering with the menu. You always end up getting a cheeseburger”, he added and smirked.

“Yeah, well, I like to keep my options open”, Dean told him.

“Yes, you kinda do that a lot…” Gabriel commented.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dean asked and then he felt Cas’ hand on top of his, on the table.

“Dean, ignore him, please. Gabriel is just being an idiot. Don’t read too much into his bullshit.” Cas said, still holding Dean’s hand, and then glared at Gabriel, who raised his hands in surrender.

“Thanks, Cas. Don’t worry, I’m used to Gabriel’s crap by now”, the Omega replied and rubbed Cas’ hand with his thumb, before he withdrew his own hand and they all fell again into casual conversation.

Not much later, the waitress came to get their orders and after Dean ordered his usual cheeseburger and fries, he got up and went to the restroom.

When he got there, the restroom was totally empty and he moved to the washstand in the middle to wash his hands. He kept looking down, while doing so, but when he rinsed his hands from the soap and finally looked up, he found Michael’s eyes staring at him in the mirror.

“Jesus… You scared the hell out of me”, he said and closed his eyes momentarily, while steadying himself on the counter. Then, after wiping his hands, he turned around to talk to Michael.

“What are you doing in here?” he asked.

“What? I can’t use the restroom?” Michael said.

“No, I mean why were you standing so creepily behind me?” Dean asked.

“I wanted to get you alone for a moment”, Michael said and then closed the distance between them and circled his arms around Dean’s body. Dean just stood there with his arms at his sides, doing nothing.

“Shouldn’t you go back to your ‘table company’?” Dean said, as Michael brought his face right in front of his, letting their noses touch.

“I’m fine right here…” the Alpha replied and then kissed Dean on the lips.

“Yeah, well, I’m not. I’m starving…” Dean complained.

“And I’m starving for you…” Michael told him then and moved to the Omega’s neck, scenting him and kissing him.

“Michael, are you serious? Someone might walk in on us… Stop!” Dean said.

“So? We’re married… Who will dare say anything?” Michael said, as he continued his assault on Dean’s neck.

“You know, even if we are, people don’t usually make out like this in public restrooms”, Dean said and pushed him off of him.

Michael composed himself, then, and spoke.  
“Now, you’re being prude? Do you forget that I claimed you in a public ceremony?” the Alpha commented and laughed at his own joke. Seeing Dean’s face, however, made him stop. That was still a sore spot for the Omega. It was a moment of his life that he was trying to forget.  
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that… If you’re hungry, you can go have lunch with my brothers and your friend, but I’m warning you; I don’t want to see Cas touching your hand again. You hear me?” Michael said and made Dean realize what this was all about.

“You saw Cas touching my hand? That’s why you got in here? You’re pathetic, you know that? Stop spying on our table and take care of your own companions. Go back to that sleazeball, Adam”, Dean said and tried to leave, but Michael grabbed his arm painfully.

“Don’t make a fool out of me, Dean and don’t test my patience, okay? You are in a public place. I don’t have to remind you of what you signed now, do I?” Michael said, while his eyes were burning holes in Dean’s skull.

“I remember very well of the agreement and if you wanted me to sit with you today, you could have told me from the beginning, instead of spying on me and then harassing me in the restroom. Now, let me go”, the Omega said and Michael finally let go of his arm.

“I’ll wait for you at six o’clock in my office, to take you home. Don’t be late”, Michael said and then Dean was gone, without sparing him not even a glance. The Alpha just sighed frustrated, looking at himself in the mirror, and tried to calm down, before he went back to his table.

 

When he reached his friends again, saying that Dean was angry would be an understatement. He was so fed up with Michael’s mixed signals and he couldn’t take it anymore. One moment the Alpha was cold with him, the next he was sweet. And then there would be times, when he was paying absolutely no attention to him and others, when he would be filled with irrational jealousy. It was getting ridiculous.

“Is everything okay? You seem tensed”, Jo commented, when Dean sat back down on his chair.

“Yeah, guys, I’m fine, but… if you don’t mind I’d like to take my food to go and eat at the office. I’ll see you later, okay? I’ll go talk to our waitress… excuse me”, Dean said, making Cas and Gabriel share a look, when he got up from his chair.

“I’ll come with you… I don’t want to be late, anyway, or Michael will fire me”, Jo said and followed him.

The moment the Omega was out of hearing range, Gabriel spoke.  
“Something tells me that our dearest brother is the one to blame for Dean’s change of heart”, he murmured, motioning at Michael, who was just returning at his table.

“I can’t believe him…” started Cas.  
“Ever since he got back, he’s been treating Dean terribly. Did you see the way he reacted, when you proposed that you wanted Dean to work with you, yesterday? And what’s his deal with Adam? Why does he still trust him? Dean said that Michael doesn’t believe anymore what Adam told him and that he practically admitted that it was indeed the Omega who spoke with him; and yet Adam shows up everywhere Michael goes”, Cas said, as he was looking towards the two.

“I don’t know what his deal is, but I don’t like this at all. Mark my words, when I say this; Adam is going to bring lots of troubles in our family. I can feel it”, Gabriel said, watching as Michael laughed at something that his uncle had said. If only they knew how right they were.

…Α-Ω…

TWO MONTHS LATER...

Chuck’s visit had lasted only for a week and after that first week Michael was back from London, they started honoring the agreement and Dean moved to the room Michael had first given him, when they first arrived in New York, after they got married. Michael was hoping that Dean would get his heat soon and that that would help them get closer again and fix their relationship, but the heat never came and Dean remained distant. The Alpha could see him grow more confidant at work and he was really proud of him, but seeing that Dean was only sharing his successes with Gabriel and Cas and showed absolutely no interest in him, made him grow cold towards the Omega as well.

Every time they met, it was brief and they would exchange only a few typical words, before getting out of each other’s way again. Michael had finally given in and had allowed him to reunite with his friends and it was hurting him that Dean spent all of his free time with them and his brothers, while he stayed alone at home or was working extra hours at the office. During those times, the only company he had was his assistant, Jo and as of lately, Adam, who had taken more of Zachariah’s responsibilities. Adam had toned it down, after Michael had confronted him, his first day back at the office, but Michael could see that he was still waiting for the Alpha’s move. Especially after seeing how apart Michael and Dean had grown; the Alpha was afraid that he would finally give into his urges, if things with Dean didn’t get better soon, but for now he was just lost and feeling sorry for himself. 

This was another Saturday evening that Michael was working instead of being at home or any place other than the office, and as usual, Jo was at her desk too, working overtime. Jo had proven to be very competent at her job and their relationship had improved greatly over these past two months. However, keeping happy with you a boss that was a workaholic and needed you to be always there was hard. And especially today that they all had planned to go to the bar, where Benny worked, to celebrate Charlie’s birthday.

Jo hesitantly knocked on Michael’s door and waited for his response, which came after a second.  
“Come in…” Michael said in a tired voice. Jo, then, entered the office and approached Michael’s desk.

She noticed the chaos that prevailed on his desktop, as well as Michael’s slovenly appearance, but said nothing. A half empty bottle of whiskey stood next to his papers, while he was holding an almost empty glass near his lips. His tie was loose around his neck and the first few buttons of his dress shirt were open. He was wearing no suit jacket. His hair was a total mess and it looked a lot like Castiel’s right now, while stubble was growing on his jaw for the past few days. He really looked exhausted and when he looked up at her, there was no doubt of that, if the dark circles under his eyes were anything to go by.

“Joanna, can I help you with something?” he asked and took a sip of his drink, before he put his glass back down on his desk.

“I… I was wondering, if I could go, now. It’s getting really late and I also have to go celebrate my friend’s birthday. So, can I please go?” she asked with hopeful eyes.

“Yes, of course… sorry for keeping you here so late. I didn’t realize it was already nine”, Michael answered, after he looked at the clock on the opposite wall.

“Thank you so much, sir. Have a good night”, she said and made a move to leave, but Michael called her and she stopped.

“Wait, Joanna… is Dean going to be with you, tonight?” he asked. Jo turned and looked at him with a sad expression. She had really grown to like him, after spending so much time with him and it made her sad to see him so unhappy.

“Yes, it’s Charlie’s birthday. All of our friends are going to be there. Even your two brothers. You know… you could come, if you want. I’m sure Dean won’t mind. And I’m certain that Charlie won’t mind either”, she proposed. Michael contemplated this for a moment and then he answered.

“No, that’s fine. I don’t mind. I’ll just finish some of the work I have till Monday and then I’ll head home. I’m tired, anyways. It’s been a tough week. Have fun, Joanna and forgive me for keeping you here so late”, he said, trying to hide how much the situation was making him hurt.

“Okay, but if you change your mind, we’ll be at ‘The Mystery Spot’”, she said and handed him a piece of paper.  
“This is the address…” she added.

“Thank you for the invitation, but I don’t think I’ll make it. Tell your friend happy birthday for me”, Michael said and gave her a forced smile.

“Will do. Goodnight, Michael”, Jo told him and left.

…Α-Ω…

When she got to ‘The Mystery Spot’, everyone was already there. After she gave Charlie her birthday gift as well as her wishes, she saw Dean sitting at the bar, next to Cas, talking and laughing, and she decided to go to them.

“Hey…” she said, when she reached them.

“Oh, hey, Jo… Michael finally let you leave?” Dean said and snorted.

“Are you drunk? How much did you have to drink?” she asked, when she saw his blurry eyes and smelled his breath.

“What? It’s a party, we’re having fun…” Dean told her in return and then turned to Cas.  
“Tell her, Caas… tell her I’m not a baaaby... She’s ruining all the fuun”, he said and then leaned against the Alpha’s shoulder, which only seemed to make Jo even angrier.

“Dean Winchester, you need to stop, alright? Why the hell did you drink so much?” she said and then turned her accusing eyes on Castiel.  
“And why the hell did you let him? When Michael sees him like this, he’s gonna flip”, she finished.

“I…” Cas started to say, but Dean interrupted him.

“I don’t caeere what that asshole has to say. He’s been… ignoooring me for two months. I’m fed up, okay? He said… that we would tryy and work on our… maeerriage, the first night he came baaack… but after his daddy left… he gave up on me… we stopped trying… We’re two straeengers living in the same home… He only wants me to have his baeebies… and then he’ll send me away and take them from mee… But the joke’s on him… I’m taking suppressants… and if he’s waiting for my heat to come… he’s gonna wait for a looong time…” Dean said in a drunken voice, and then started laughing again. Jo looked helplessly at Castiel and he nodded, taking Dean by his arm and dragging him to the couch in the corner, where Gabriel was sitting.

“I’ll get him some coffee”, Jo yelled over the loud music, as they were leaving.

“I don’t want coffee… I want a beeeeer…” Dean complained, as Cas made him sit on the couch.

“Yeah, yeah... Okay, buddy”, Cas said and sighed deeply, sitting next to him and trying to keep him from falling over.

“What the fuck is wrong with him?” Gabriel asked, when he turned to look at them.

“He got drunk…” Cas answered, while supporting Dean.

“And where the fuck were you, when that happened?” Gabriel asked disbelievingly.

“Gabe, buddy…” Dean started again and hugged Gabriel.

“Yeah, okay. He’s pretty smashed”, Gabriel said, trying to support the Omega in his arms.

“I didn’t realize he was that drunk…” Cas reasoned. He looked really mad at himself for not realizing it sooner.

“That’s okay. It was bound to happen at some point. He’s been really stressed, lately”, Gabriel said, as he rubbed soothing circles on Dean’s back, who was currently limp in his arms. However, the Alpha’s comment woke him up.

“You know, what’s stressing me out? Stuuppid Michael and his stupid face. He doesn’t love me… he made me sign an agreement to not embarrass him or take his mooney… and now he’s going to leave me… Like everyone does… Like my moom did… like daad did the minute he could… No one likes meee, Gabe… My grandpa hates me for being a stupid Omega. I’m an embarrassment to him… I’m an embarrassment to everyone…” Dean said and started crying.

“What agreement? What the hell is he talking about?” Gabe asked.

“I don’t know. This is the first time I’m hearing this”, Cas said confused.

“He made a contract to keep meee on a leash… He said he didn’t trust me, because I cheated… He said he forgave me, but he neeever did, Cas…” Dean complained, while looking at Cas with tears in his eyes.  
“He was always looooking at me like he expected me to do it again and then he’d seend me to hell… Why do I mess everything up? I messed him up… I messed us uuup…” Dean said, pointing between himself and the Alpha.

“Dean, please… don’t say that”, Cas said, looking at him worriedly.

“No, it’s true… You loved me and I used you… You were theeere for me, when I needed you, but I was never there for youuu…. You went through everything alooone, because I wanted to save what was left of my stupid maeerriage… and that was never real… from day one he hated meee… he never loooved me…” Dean said and broke into tears again.

“Dean?” Cas said and tried again to calm him down, looking helplessly at Gabriel. Gabriel returned the same look.

“I’m a fuck up and he doesn’t loove me…” he said and kept crying.

“Hey, I have his coffee…” Jo’s voice came from behind them.  
“What happened?” she asked, looking at the mess that was Dean.

“He doesn’t love me, Jooo…” Dean told her, looking up.

“Who doesn’t love you?” Jo asked confused.

“Michael… I had left him a voicemail, telling him how much I miiissed him, but he neever cared…” Dean went on, still crying.

“When?” Jo asked again, confused.

“When Michael was at London, the night of the party”, Cas answered for him and both Jo and Gabriel looked at him, still confused, but then, the look on Gabriel’s face changed into one of realization.

“You heard him leave the message. That’s why you came back and asked me to take you home…” he said and Cas nodded.

“It was pretty clear to me that Dean had made his choice…” he added and looked down with sorrowful eyes. Then Dean leaned against him once more and started talking again.

“I tried to fight my feelings for youuu so many times…” he said, while hugging him tightly.  
“And for what? For noothing… I suffered, trying to understand what the right thing to doo was… My body screamed that you were the right AAAlpha for me, but my mind kept saying differently… and my heart was torn in half… Can someone love two people at once? I do… I have for a while… that’s why I’m such a fuck up… I don’t run right… I should love only ooone… I should know who my mate is…” Dean kept saying in Castiel’s neck, while his tears were wetting the Alpha’s shirt.

Cas looked like someone had punched him in the stomach and had a pained, broken expression on his face.

“Alright, buddy… Let’s get some coffee into your system, shall we?” Gabriel said, dragging Dean back from Cas and looking apologetically at his brother. He knew that Cas was in pain and Dean was only making it worse.

“I don’t want coffee… I waaant Michael… I want to teell him how stupid he is… I want him to looove me, but he doesn’t…” Dean said and started crying again.

“Dean, calm down…” Jo started saying, as she handed the coffee to Gabriel.  
“That’s not true. Of course, Michael loves you. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t look so sad all the time. He misses you”, she finished and Dean looked up at her expectantly.

“He does?” he asked.  
“But I thought…”

“He’s a mess, Dean. You two really need to work on your communication. Trust me, I spend most of my day with him and I can tell that’s something’s been bothering him. And it’s obvious what that is. He loves you and he doesn’t know how to approach you. You’re not the easiest person, mister”, she said and smiled at him, as Dean wiped away the tears from his face.

“I want to see him…” he said, sounding a lot more sobered up.

“Okay, but you need to drink your coffee, first. Then, I promise, we’ll take you to him”, she promised.

“Is he home?” Dean asked.

“He was still at the office, when I left, and he said he had some more work to do. He might still be there. We’ll call Hannah and ask her, if he’s at home”, Jo told him.

“Okay… Give me that coffee”, Dean told Gabriel, when he turned to look at him.

“Here you go, buddy…” Gabriel said and gave it to him, while he watched the sad expression still on his brother’s face. This night was going to be a night to remember.

…Α-Ω…

Dean felt his heart racing, as he got out of the elevator. Each step towards Michael’s office was three loud poundings of his heart. Jo and Gabriel had brought him to the company, making sure he was okay, and then had left him at the lobby and gone back to the party. The Omega was running what he would say inside his head and kept trembling. As he got closer, however, he got more confidant. He and Michael had to work things out. Jo swore that Michael missed him and that he looked sad all the time. If they loved each other, why should they suffer?

“Everything is going to be okay…” he murmured to himself, as he opened the door of Jo’s office. Then, taking a deep breath, he took another step, but then stopped dead in his tracks. There were voices coming from Michael’s office. No, not voices; someone was moaning. Two people were moaning. Before he knew what he was doing, he was opening the door of his husband’s office. Then, everything went black.

Michael was naked from the waist down, pounding inside a very naked Adam’s ass, who was bent over his desk and was moaning like a two dollar whore. At the sight, Dean felt his heart cracking and only managed to get a choked word out, before he fainted.  
“Michael?” the Alpha heard from somewhere to his left and turned with horrified eyes to look at the door, in time to see Dean falling to the floor.

“Dean?” he yelled. But it was too late. Everything was over.


	45. This One's on You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys! First of all, I want to thank you all for all the comments you left on the previous chapter, as well as every comment that you've left, since the beginning and also all the kudos! They're very much appreciated. I really hope you liked it and that you like this one as well! :D  
> And now, I'd like to take the chance to tell you that this is a very emotional chapter; it even made me sad, while I was writing it. I don't know what your opinions are going to be on this one, but I can't wait to read them!  
> So, there's nothing left to say but enjoy, I guess! XOXO

When Jo closed the door behind her, Michael buried his face in his hands and sighed deeply. He wished he had the courage to go find Dean, put his ego aside and just talk to him; tell him how much he loved him, how much the Omega meant to him. He wanted to feel Dean’s lips on his again, his perfect Omega body under his own, writhing in pleasure. But he knew better than that. Everything was long over. Dean didn’t love him anymore, if he ever did, and as the months were passing, they were only getting closer to divorce. He knew that Dean was only staying with him, because of the agreement he had signed. Otherwise, he would have long left him by now.

At these depressing thoughts, he filled again his glass with whiskey and downed it with one go, grimacing at the burn he felt in his throat. With clumsy hands he ripped the tie off his neck and threw it on the floor. He had completely let go. He barely slept anymore, lying by himself in their bed, while Dean was only a few feet away in the other room. He had started drinking and he was never completely sober. It was a good thing that he had a driver or things could be worse. Tonight, especially, he had drunk a lot more than he should.

Half an hour later and a few more glasses of whiskey, he was surprised to hear a knock on the door. He really thought that he was the last one in the company, apart from security.  
“Come in…” he said in a tired voice, which also sounded confused.

Then, after a second, the door opened and Adam entered his office.  
“Good evening, Michael…” he said, while he closed the door behind him and approached Michael’s desk.

“Adam? What are you still doing here? I thought everyone was long gone. Today is Saturday. You should be resting…” he told the Omega, as the other sat down on one of the two chairs in front of his desk.

“I could say the same thing about you. You look exhausted”, Adam commented.

“Yeah, well, running a company worth of millions, sometimes will do that to you… What’s your excuse?” Michael replied, as he took a sip of his drink.

“I was just preparing for the meeting on Monday. It’s the first time that Zachariah lets me handle the presentation on my own. I wanted it to be perfect. Your brothers already hate me, I don’t want them to have shit to say about my work too”, Adam said, making Michael smirk at his words.

“You weren’t exactly an angel in the past. They have their reasons…” the Alpha said and got more comfortable in his chair.

“Yet, you never had a problem with it… I know it’s been a long time, but may I ask you why? I mean, you knew I lied to you about your husband cheating on you and you forgave me. You didn’t fire me and you even let your uncle promote me. I just wonder why that is…” Adam asked, looking at the Alpha in the eye.

Michael looked uncomfortable for a moment, but then he put again the mask on and smirked.  
“You weren’t exactly wrong… Dean has cheated on me in the past, with my brother no less… I guess, I liked the fact that someone cared about me enough to lie to get my attention. Dean never fought for me. It’s always been the other way around. You’d think that he would be the attached one, because he’s an Omega, but he never really cared about me. Sleeping with me was only an obligation to him and now he’s not even doing that”, he said, while staring at the opposite wall and taking another sip of his drink.

“Dean has stopped sleeping with you?” Adam asked, suddenly interested.

Michael snorted and then he spoke.  
“Yeah… we sort of agreed that we would sleep together only during his heats, to conceive, but he hasn’t had a heat for over three months now, so… no sex for me…”

“That’s weird, he should have one every month… unless he’s taking suppressants or he’s pregnant”, Adam said.

“Dean told me that his heats are not regular yet and that he never knows when he’s going to have one… And he’s certainly not pregnant. If he was, I’d be able to smell it on him”, Michael reasoned.

“No regular heats mean that they come in different times of the month, sooner or a little later. His heats can’t possibly be so bad that they take that long, unless he wants them to. I’m sorry to say this, but I think that he’s playing you and that he’s been taking suppressants”, Adam told him, causing Michael to laugh.

“Yeah, well, it makes sense. I wouldn’t be surprised, if he did…” the Alpha said and closed his eyes, while he leaned his head on the back of his chair.

“That can’t be good for you. I mean, you’re a mated Alpha. Mated Alphas get a lot stressed, if they don’t mate regularly with their partners, or so I’ve heard. It’s not good for their health.”

“It’s not like I can force myself on Dean. I’m not a monster. And if he doesn’t put out, I don’t have much of a choice now, do I?” Michael said, still with his eyes closed.

“Yes, you do. It doesn’t have to be Dean. You just need a willing hole to fuck to let all this frustration out of you; to release some of those pheromones. Or masturbate, I guess, but it won’t be as fulfilling… What you need is someone to knot”, Adam said and Michael opened his eyes and stared at him.

“So, you’re proposing that I cheat on him?” he asked.

“It’s not like he doesn’t have it coming. I mean, he has already cheated on you and doesn’t fulfill his responsibilities as your spouse. No one would blame you, if you did. Besides, you’d only be doing it for your health. ‘Cause, no offense, but you look far from healthy these past few weeks”, the Omega commented.

“I’m just tired. I’ve not been sleeping well. I miss Dean”, Michael said, making Adam grimace.

“No, you don’t. You just miss his Omega body. You miss his smell and his slick. You miss sex and you won’t relax, until you get some. If you were mated to a Beta, it wouldn’t be so hard on you. There is a reason why Alphas and Omegas mate for life. When they first mate, they start depending on one another. I’m surprised Dean isn’t the mess you are, right now. Or perhaps, he has found another Alpha to tame his urges. I don’t see a better explanation”, Adam finished, raising an eyebrow.

“Are you doing it again? Trying to convince me that Dean is cheating on me?” Michael asked.

“No, not at all. Maybe he just has excellent preservation skills. Who knows? Anyway, taking suppressants helps with such matters. It reduces an Omega’s sexual libido in general. Even outside heats. Too bad there is no such medication for Alphas. Perhaps you should try masturbating more”, Adam said and Michael looked away, embarrassed.

“What’s the matter? Did I say something wrong?” the Omega asked, then.

“No, I just… I’ve tried masturbating, but I can’t get it up… I guess, I can only get it up for Dean”, Michael said, while getting red in the face.

“You just need to smell an Omega to get in the mood…” Adam proposed.

“No, I need to smell Dean. I need to smell his slick and kiss his lips. I can’t even remember what that feels like, anymore…” Michael said and sighed.

“You know, I’ve read a study in the past, on separated Alpha-Omega male pairs. It said that there was an experiment on Alphas, who had lost their Omega partners, because of sudden death, that didn’t give them time to break their mating bond. These Alphas were still in the years of their youth and they had become really frustrated after a while, because they couldn’t mate. And believe me they had tried, but not with other male Omegas, because they were really rare to find. The scientists put them in a room and blindfolded them and then threw one male Omega inside. The moment the Alphas smelled him, they immediately became hard for the first time in months. The scientists said that not seeing the Omega helped them pretend that he was their own and after each one of them knotted him, they all became better. After a few sessions, fucking repeatedly the new Omega, they started forgetting about their deceased mates and soon they could fuck the Omega without the blindfold and they didn’t have to pretend anymore. The reason why the scientists put a bunch of Alphas fuck the same Omega was that smelling the other Alphas’ seed on the Omega, helped them not get attached to him and finally get free of their mating bond and become ready to mate again someone of their own choice”, finished Adam.

“I’m sorry, Adam, but is there a point in this story? Are you getting somewhere with this?” Michael asked him then, confused.

“Yes, that gets me to my proposal. I can be that Omega for you, if you want, just for a few times, so that you won’t get attached. Only to break your bond with Dean. I don’t have any expectations of you. I just want to help you. You see, male Omegas don’t get attached as easily as Alphas do. It has to do with their rarity. Nature made it so that male Omegas can have multiple partners, if they choose it, because there are many Alphas to choose from. Alphas, on the other hand, become very attached to their Omega partners, because of the male Omegas’ rarity. You can pretend that I am Dean and fuck me, just to get it out of your system and then we can stop”, Adam suggested.

Michael laughed at that.  
“Your past scheme has taught me that you already are crazy for me. Sleeping with you would only make it worse. I don’t think that you won’t be attached. I know that I most certainly won’t, because I feel nothing for you, but you already like me and knotting you is a really damn bad idea”, he said and got up from his seat and walked to the window to look down at the busy streets.

“No, I swear, I won’t. You know, I think that if we do this, it will help me get you out of my system, as well. I’ll even let you call me Dean, if you want. Just let me help you out”, Adam begged, as he got near the Alpha and then right into his personal space. Michael looked at him for a second and then backed away.

“Adam, don’t do this. I’m drunk, okay? I can’t think clearly right now. I don’t want to do something that I will regret later. And I know that if I do this, I will. So, please, don’t tempt me”, he said and tried to get away, but Adam grabbed his hand.

“You want to be one last time with Dean, don’t you? Let me give it to you. I can pretend to be him for you. Give you what you need. You already know that Dean will never sleep with you again. The fact that he’s been taking suppressants proves it”, Adam said and then saw the conflict and the hurt on Michael’s face, before the Alpha dived in and claimed his lips in a passionate kiss.

“Dean, I love you…” Michael said, before he deepened the kiss even more and then out of nowhere ripped Adam’s shirt to shreds and moved his lips to the Omega’s chest and started biting, licking and kissing, paying extra attention to his nipples that were already hard.

Adam could feel his slick dampening the fabric of his briefs and soon after, the one of his dress pants, as his erect penis felt too uncomfortable behind the zipper. Michael, falling completely to his knees, still with closed eyes -as he was from the second he gave Adam the first kiss- wasted no time and unzipped Adam’s pants, letting his cock pop free and making Adam moan at the feeling. Giving him a few strokes, he then took him in his mouth and started sucking, making obscenely wet sounds, before he let it again drop out of his mouth and moved to his balls. Adam started panting and moaning uncontrollably and then spoke, before he could stop himself.

“I want you in my ass”, he said and Michael stopped immediately what he was doing and stood up.

Adam just stared at him, as Michael wiped his mouth and looked away.  
“If you want to pretend that you’re Dean, you need to stop talking, because you’re ruining everything. Dean would never say that and I find your voice irritating. Just stick to moaning for now. Lose your damn pants and move to the desk and bend over”, Michael said, as he started undoing his belt and then unzipping his own pants.

Adam did as he was told and wasted no time removing first his shoes and socks and then, his dress pants along with his briefs. Quickly, he went to Michael’s desk and pushed the chairs aside, making also room on the desk and taking his place, exactly as he was told. Trembling, he felt Michael coming behind him and placing his two hands on his hips.

“Dean, baby… you’re so beautiful. I love you…” the Alpha said, with closed eyes, again and then, started rubbing his dick between Adam’s ass cheeks, making the Omega moan deeply in his throat. Michael kept up the motions and soon felt his dick being completely covered in slick. Using his hand for help, he lined up and then pushed inside, moaning Dean’s name repeatedly, as Adam started panting hard underneath him. It wasn’t too long before he was balls deep inside him and Michael pulled back, only to thrust back in harder, making Adam a writhing mess, as he started moaning more like a whore than his beautiful Omega mate; but Michael was too far gone in his fantasy to care and kept up his hard and fast thrusts, moaning as well and picturing that Dean was the one taking it from behind and not Adam.

Suddenly, the spell was broken, as he heard a voice that sounded more like a whisper coming from his left and opened his eyes to look, only to find Dean staring at him from the door, before the Omega dropped to the floor and lost consciousness.

“Dean?” Michael yelled at him and quickly pulled out of Adam, pushing the Omega harshly on the desk and causing him to fall to the floor, after losing his balance.

Michael quickly searched for his dress pants and after wearing them as fast as he could, ran to Dean to help him.  
“Dean, baby, I’m so sorry… Wake up”, Michael said, panicked, as he lifted Dean in his arms, giving him a kiss on his hair and then moved him to the couch.

“Baby? Please, wake up… Oh my God”, Michael went on, as tears started running down his face and kept trembling uncontrollably with fear.

Adam was just staring horrified at the scene, still naked on the floor, when he felt blood running down his arm from his elbow, after hitting it, during his fall. But that injury could not compare to the pain he felt in his heart. He felt so broken and used, even though he was the one who started it and he knew exactly why Michael had agreed. Now, however, he couldn’t feel more than a trash.

Michael, suddenly remembering that Adam was still there, turned around to face him with harsh eyes and yelled at him.  
“Take your fucking clothes and get the hell out of my office”, he screamed and then turned back to Dean and kissed his forehead, while crying.

Adam felt tears blurring his eyes and stood up on unsteady feet, searching for his clothes. His dignity was long lost. After putting on his pants, he took everything else in his hands and then ran as fast as he could away from that room.

Dean started waking up after a moment and Michael froze as he waited for his reaction. Dean, at first, looked at him confused, but then the memories kicked in and hatred took over the place of confusion and Dean pushed him away, as he sat on the couch instead of lying, like before.

“Dean, please, I can explain. I didn’t…” Michael started to say, but stopped as he felt Dean’s punch meeting his eye.

“Stop, you son of a bitch, just stop. You made me feel like a whore for cheating on you with Cas, who may I add is my fucking true mate and you go around fucking with that dick, Adam? I hate you, you fucking jerk. I can’t believe I was coming to tell you that I wanted to work things out and try to save our marriage. I hate you”, he said and then stormed out of the room, leaving Michael speechless, sitting on the floor in front of the couch and staring at nothing.

After getting out of the elevator and running to the lobby, Dean walked into someone, who really shouldn’t be in his way. When he realized that it was Adam, the person he fell into, all the anger came again to the surface and he started slapping him and hitting him everywhere he could get his hands on; and it was really pathetic, because Adam wasn’t even resisting. So, Dean kept hitting him with all his strength, until two guys from security came and separated them.

“Get the hell out of my life, you asshole. I don’t want to see you step a foot ever again in this building. You hear me? You’re fucking fired!” he screamed as one of the security guards was holding him back from his arms.

“Let me go…” Dean protested and when the guard obeyed, Dean ran out of the building and raising his hand, quickly stopped a taxi. After getting inside, and completely ignoring the driver, the first thing he did was to call Cas’ cell phone. Only a ring later, Cas answered.  
“Dean, are you okay? Why are you calling me?” he asked, confused.

“Where are you?” Dean asked, interrupting him.

“I came back at the apartment”, Cas said and before he could finish what he was about to say, Dean spoke again.

“I’m coming over. Wait for me”, the Omega said and hung up.

“Sir, where are we going?” the driver asked again and Dean finally gave him the address.

…Α-Ω… 

Running up two steps at a time in the staircase of Castiel’s apartment building, he felt so relieved, when he finally reached the Alpha’s door. There were three fast and hard knocks and then, Cas was standing in front of him.

“Dee…” he started to say, but then suddenly Dean fell in his arms and hugged him tightly to his body.

“Cas, don’t talk, please. Just let me tell you what I need to tell you, first”, Dean started saying, still in the Alpha’s arms, as Cas stared at his head with a totally confused expression on his face.

Then, Dean pulled back to look at him in the eyes.  
“Look, I know I’ve messed up before and that I’ve hurt you, but I promise I’ll never do it again. And if you’ll have me, I want to spend the rest of my life, making it up to you. Showing you how much I love you. I should never have suppressed my feelings for you. It was a huge mistake that I will never make again. So, please, tell me, now. Do you want to be with me?” Dean asked, as he looked at Cas with expectant eyes.

“Dean, I don’t understand. You left to go find Michael. What happened between you two?” Cas asked instead of answering.

“Michael gave me an easy way out. He showed me what I needed to see to make up my mind for good this time. He proved me that he and I have no future together and we’re over. It’s over, Cas, I’m going to file for divorce and no one is going to stop me. You are the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with. My true love, my true mate”, Dean said and then waited for Castiel’s reaction.

Cas felt his eyes filling with tears and then he spoke in a trembling voice.  
“Yes, okay. I do… I mean, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, too”, he finally replied, as tears started falling down his face.

“Cas”, said Dean, smiling and then crashed his lips on the Alpha’s, pushing him back inside the apartment.

After that, everything was a blur. Dean didn’t even realize when or how they got to the bedroom and on the bed or how they lost their clothes. All he cared about was the feeling of Castiel’s body against his own, how perfect they fit together. How great it felt kissing those lips, he had so many dreams about. Cas was everything to him at that moment and for the first time, he felt absolutely no guilt feeling like that. From now on, he would never feel shame again for loving Cas. Cas was his true mate and that’s all that mattered to him.

“Cas, I love you…” Dean said, as Cas changed their positions and moved on top of the Omega.

“I love you, too”, Cas said and kissed him again, while Dean wrapped his naked thighs around his body.

“I want you so much…” the Omega said, while panting.

“Me too…” Cas replied and then leaned in again for a kiss.  
“I’ve waited so long for you to say that. I’m so happy… I love you, Dean”, Cas told him again and then started kissing him repeatedly all over his face again, making the Omega laugh.

“If you love me so much, then what are you waiting for to prove it?” Dean asked, then and Cas, after nodding, with the help of his own hand, found the Omega’s entrance, lined himself up and then pushed right in, making Dean gasp at the feeling.

Then, slowly but surely, Cas started moving inside the Omega, while finding his lips again and kissing him with all he got. Dean felt his heart fluttering inside his chest and let himself completely relax, in the loving arms of his true mate. Their love making was nothing like the times he fucked with Michael. The only time that could compare to this was the one during the ceremony, when Michael was sweet and caring, but even that couldn’t compare to this one. That was awkward as hell and embarrassing, when now all he could feel was safety, love and home. He was finally at home and he couldn’t feel happier. Suddenly, tears started running at the sides of his face and Cas, without stopping rocking slowly inside him, looked at him and kissed his tears away, making him smile on his neck, before claiming his lips again in a kiss.

Right before it was over, and Cas felt his knot growing, he said “I love you”, and then moved to the Omega’s neck and sank his teeth right over Michael’s claiming mark and then he came deep inside him, as his knot locked them together.

“I love you…” Dean whispered and after they moved to their sides, holding onto each other for dear life, sleep took over them.

…Α-Ω…

Once they stepped inside the lobby of Michael’s -and Dean’s previous- apartment building, Cas turned to Dean with concerned eyes.  
“Are you sure, you don’t want me to come up with you? Baby, I think it will be better, if we go together. I don’t know how my brother is going to react. I don’t want you to be alone”, Cas said and stroked Dean’s hand with his thumb.

“No, it’s okay. I’m sure. I’ll be real quick. I’ll just grab some of my things, put them in a bag and then, tell Hannah to prepare the rest of them and I’ll come pick them up some other time that he’s not here. If he’s awake, I want to tell him about the divorce, anyway”, Dean said and smiled up at him.

“Okay, if you’re sure”, Cas said and leaned in to kiss him.  
“I’ll wait for you right here. Call me, if you want me to come up”, he told him then.

“Yeah, okay”, Dean replied and gave him another kiss, before he entered the elevator.

The ride up to the apartment was the longest in Dean’s life. He was really nervous about what he was going to say, but then again, he didn’t care. Michael was the one who cheated on him first, so, he had no reason to feel guilty. He was just going to do what he told Cas; get his things, say that he’s filing for divorce and go.

When he reached the apartment door and placed the key in the keyhole, he didn’t have a chance to turn the key and the door was suddenly widely opened by a very worried Hannah.  
“Sir, where have you been? Mr. Novak was waiting up for you, all night. He is drunk, he looks awful and he has a black eye. He’s been worried sick about you. You weren’t answering your phone”, she said in a whispering voice.

“It’s okay, Hannah, don’t worry about it. Where is he, now?” he asked in a low voice as well.

“He’s in the living room, drinking. He hasn’t stopped drinking, since he came, yesterday, sir. I’m really worried about him”, she told Dean, and it was obvious that it was true, ‘cause she had terrified eyes and wrinkles worried her forehead.

“Hannah, do me a favor and go make a bag with some of my clothes, okay?” Dean said then, in a low voice.

“What?” she gasped in horror and placed her hands over her mouth to cover the sound.  
“You’re leaving?” she asked, terrified.

“Please, don’t worry. Just go do, as I said, without anyone noticing you and bring the bag back here at the entrance, okay? I won’t be staying here, anymore. Just put in everything that I’ll need for a few days and then later, pack all the rest of my stuff, so I can come pick them up, another time that he won’t be here”, he told her and Hannah without meaning to, started crying.

“But why? What happened?” she asked, while trying to compose herself, wiping away the tears.

“I don’t have time for details, but Michael and I are getting a divorce”, he answered and she couldn’t help but make a choked sound, ready to burst into tears again.

“Please, don’t do this to me right now. You knew that sooner or later the day would come. We’ve been sleeping in separate rooms for two months for God’s sake”, Dean said, in an attempt to calm her down.

“I know, but this is so sad. I will miss you, sir”, she said and before she could stop herself, hugged him.

“I know, I’ll miss you, too. Now, go, please”, he begged her and smiled sympathetically at her.

“Okay”, she whispered and then she was gone.

Dean felt his heart beating incredibly fast, as he started walking towards the living room and when he reached it, his heart broke a little at the sight. But he was brave and he had made his decision and now, it was time to go through with it.

Michael was sitting barefoot, in his yesterday’s clothes, at the window’s ledge, with a bottle of whiskey in his hand, leaning his head against the glass of the window and staring outside with eyes that looked dead. His right eye was completely black and swollen and it was barely open –thanks to Dean’s punch- and his left didn’t look a lot better, with a mean dark circle underneath it and around it. His mouth was slightly open and his lips completely dry, and it looked like he was breathing hard from the small opening.

Dean, taking in the image, gathered his courage and decided to speak.  
“Michael?” he said and at his voice, the Alpha turned to look at him with horrified eyes that were holding a hint of relief.

“Dean?” he said in a voice that was rough from disuse as well as abuse and stood up, letting the bottle fall from his hand and ran to him and hugged him tightly in his arms.

“Baby, are you okay?” he said in that same voice that sounded like he had rubbed his vocal cords with sand paper and then started crying over the Omega’s shoulder.  
“I’m so sorry, Dean. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to. I don’t know why I did it. I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” he kept saying, without letting the Omega go from his arms.

“Michael, please, don’t do this. Stop, okay?” Dean said, trying to disentangle himself from the Alpha, but Michael wouldn’t let go.

“No, no… please, you have to forgive me. I’ll do anything. I’ll do anything, Dean. Just please, don’t leave me. I love you. I can’t live without you. You’re my life, my whole universe. Please…” he went on, as he cried hard.

“There’s nothing more to say. Your actions, yesterday, speak for themselves”, Dean said, with his arms hanging limp at his sides.

“No, no… I was drunk. I didn’t know what I was doing. I felt lonely. I love you, Dean. Only you. Please, don’t… You said, yesterday, that you wanted us to try again. I want that, too. I miss you, please…” Michael said, as he kept his hands tightly around Dean and had his face buried in the crook of the Omega’s neck.

“That was before I saw what I saw… And it doesn’t even matter anymore, because you opened my eyes. You made me see what was right there in front of me, all this time, and I just didn’t want to admit. I never really loved you. It was only an illusion. There’s only one person I’ve ever loved…” Dean said and felt Michael freeze against him and then move his head backwards and stare at something that was on Dean. Dean following his horrified and disbelieving gaze, knew exactly what Michael was staring at. The mark that Cas had left on his neck, last night, over Michael’s older one.

“I slept with Cas, Michael, and as you can see, he completed the bond”, he said and watched Michael walking backwards, with small steps, as the world crumbled around him. It was a really terrifying thing to watch, but it was done. It wasn’t like Dean could do anything about it, anymore.

Michael never stopped staring at the fresh mark on Dean’s neck, until the Omega felt uncomfortable and covered it with his jacket’s collar.  
“I’m filing for divorce and I need you to promise me that you won’t try to stop me, because of the stupid agreement. It’s pointless, Michael. Us being together, it’s all pointless. We both cheated on each other, because clearly, we don’t love each other. You may say or think that you do, but you don’t; not really. And after this, I don’t think you’ll be thinking it either”, Dean finished, as Michael kept staring at him, without saying anything, with his mouth hanging open. The tears now drying in his eyes and on his face. He looked even worse than when he was crying.

“Goodbye…” Dean said and took the wedding ring off his finger and placed it on the end table next to him, while looking at Michael’s eyes, which followed the movement, without reacting. It was clear that Michael was shutting down, but Dean had no choice. He had to give an end, now.

Tearing up, Dean spared one last look at him and then turned to leave, finding Hannah crying uncontrollably at the entrance, next to his bag. Picking up his stuff, he touched her shoulder once with his hand, squeezing a little and then he left. This chapter of his life was over.


	46. The Power of an Omega's Bite

There was a warm and nice feeling all over. The bed felt too good to get out from. Smelling the sweet Omega in his arms had to be the best thing ever. He never wanted to let go. Dean’s skin felt warm and soft against his own and all he wanted to do was stay right there, until the very last minute. Moving his lips to feel his mark on the Omega’s neck, however, brought him back to reality.

His mark was no longer there. There was another Alpha’s mark covering his own. In fact, there was no Omega. Dean was not in their bed. He was alone and was hugging the pillow that he had taken from Dean’s room that still had his smell on it. Michael woke up with tears in his eyes and stared at the pillow in his arms. His clothes were drenched in cold sweat and there was a nauseating feeling in his stomach, threatening to burst any minute now.

He had spent the previous night throwing up his guts, while lying on the floor of his bathroom. His face had become one with the toilet, but he couldn’t care less. The pain he felt in his heart was much stronger than the physical pain. Michael brought his hand to the point where his shoulder met his neck and touched the mark Dean had left on his skin, as tears started rolling down the side of his face. How could his life turn so bad in just one day? Okay, so maybe, he and Dean didn’t have the best communication lately, but he was still around. He could still see him every day and feel his presence near his own, even though he used to sleep in another room. Now, everything was over. He was completely alone. The only reminder of the Omega was the mark on the base of his neck and this pillow, he held close to his body.

Getting up on unsteady feet, he left the pillow on the bed, after wiping away his tears and then walked towards the bathroom. Someone must have cleaned it up, while he was sleeping, because there was no stench of puke anymore in the room’s air. What a waste of time, was the only thing he thought, as not a second later, he was on his knees again, throwing up bile in the toilet. There was nothing left in his stomach anymore; and it wasn’t really a surprise, since he hadn’t eaten anything for more than a day. But even if he had eaten something, after throwing up all night, it was only natural.

When he finished, he let his head lean on the toilet seat, not bothering to flush it first and started crying again. If his eyes looked bad, yesterday, today they looked horrific. His punched eye looked twice the size it was a day ago and so was his normal one. Even though, he had managed to sleep for a couple of hours, the dark circle around it was even worse today and his other eye would look just as bad, if the dark bruise wasn’t covering it. But the worst thing was the headache. His head felt like it was going to explode and he was only making it worse with crying.

As he was lying there on the floor, he suddenly heard someone talking.  
“Where is he?” he thought he heard someone say in a panicked voice, and then Gabriel was standing at the door. Hannah right behind him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know whom else to call or what to do. He’s in a really bad shape and I was scared for him”, she said, while lines were worrying her forehead.

Gabriel ran to his brother side, kneeling next to him and moved his hair from his face, while rubbing soothing circles on his arm with his other hand.  
“Why the hell, didn’t you call me sooner? What the hell happened? Where is Dean?” he asked, as he stared at his brother and the terrible condition he was in.

“He left. He asked me to pack his things and he left. He said they’re getting a divorce”, Hannah answered, while looking terrified at Michael. For all the years that she was working for him, she had never seen him like that.

“God damn it!” Gabriel muttered.  
“And what the heck is wrong with his eye? Who punched him?” he asked, then.

“I don’t know. He was like that, when he came home two nights ago”, Hannah said, looking scared.

“Excuse me, he’s been like that, since Saturday night and you waited to tell me until now?” Gabriel asked disbelievingly.

“I’m sorry”, Hannah said, while bursting in tears again.

“Stop crying and just go call Dr. Michaelson and ask him to come. Tell him it’s an emergency”, he said and then turned his attention back to his brother, as Hannah left the room.

“Michael, buddy?” Gabriel said, as Michael winced in pain and opened his eyes tiredly to look up at him.  
“Hey, hey… are you okay?” he went on, with a sympathetic and worried look on his face, as he stroked his brother’s hair, which were drenched in sweat.

“No… Dean left me”, Michael muttered in a rough voice, as tears started to roll down his face again and on the toilet seat.

“What happened? Why did he leave? I thought he wanted you to make up. What changed?” Gabriel asked, while he kept stroking his brother’s hair.

Michael’s face filled with pain then and he spoke.  
“He caught me cheating on him with Adam”, he said and started crying more intensely.

“What? Are you serious? You slept with Adam?” Gabriel asked him, shocked.

“It was a mistake. I was drunk. I didn’t mean to…” Michael said, as he kept crying.

“Who punched your eye?” Gabriel asked next.

“Dean…” Michael replied and closed his eyes, as he leaned his head more heavily on the toilet seat.

“God, you’re such an idiot. I knew Adam would be bad news, sooner or later. You are a terrible judge of characters, you know that? I can’t believe you let him anywhere near you. Like you didn’t know what he had done in the past and what he was capable of. But I guess your knot was the one doing all the thinking. You stupid knothead! I can’t really blame Dean for leaving your sorry ass. Where is he now? Did he go stay with his father and brother?” Gabriel finished and watched as his brother’s face turned green and before he knew it, Michael was throwing up again in the toilet.

“Shh… it’s okay, it’s okay”, Gabriel said and started stroking his brother’s back.

“No, it’s not…” Michael said then and turned to Gabriel with a hurt look on his face.  
“Dean is with Cas. He slept with him. Cas fucking bit him, Gabriel. He bit him over my mark on his skin. He broke my claim and now they’re bonded”, he finished and then closed his eyes again and whimpered.

“What?” Gabriel asked and stared at him, completely shocked.

“He gave me back his wedding ring…” Michael muttered, while crying.

“I can’t believe this. I had no idea. Kali and I were fighting all day, yesterday, and I didn’t call Cas to see what he was doing. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know…” Gabriel told him.

“It doesn’t even matter. It’s done. It’s not like either of us can do anything about it anymore”, Michael said and closed his eyes again.

“I don’t understand. If Cas broke your bond with Dean, why are you in such pain? I know you love him, mark or no mark, but having the claim removed should be relieving for you. Even though, it was abrupt. I mean, I know it should be done after a long time in therapy and that it hurt you, but you should be feeling better. It would be worse, if Dean had still your mark and had left you, anyway”, Gabriel reasoned.

“Dean may not have my mark anymore, but I still bare his and it hurts like hell. I’m still bonded with him, but he’s no longer bonded with me. It’s even worse than him having my mark and leaving me”, Michael whined and let his head fall again on the toilet seat.

“Oh my God!” Gabriel exclaimed and covered his mouth with his hands.  
“But that’s…. You need to get it removed as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the harder it will be”, Gabriel kept freaking out, but Michael interrupted him.

“I have no intention of removing my mate’s mark. I’ll die, before I let anyone else bite me again”, Michael said.

“Michael, don’t be crazy. If you don’t fix this soon, you’ll get in even more pain”, Gabriel reasoned.

“And what is your suggestion? Marks can only be removed by a new claiming mark. I’m a fucking Alpha and I was bit by a male Omega. The only way to remove it is find another Omega. What should I do? Let Adam bite me? The whore that ruined my marriage? ‘Cause I don’t know any other male Omegas and you know it has to be one of them to break the claiming mark of another”, Michael argued and then looked away frustrated.

“No, but… Dean will agree to do therapy with you, so, that you can get it surgically removed. He wouldn’t leave you like that. He wouldn’t let you get sick”, Gabriel answered, causing his brother to roll his eyes and wince in pain, while doing so.

“Yeah, like Dean would care. I cheated on him and he hates my guts. Plus, he’s now living his love dream with Cas and they’re over the rainbows and shit… He won’t want to help me. He will let me suffer, on purpose, to get even”, Michael said and felt bile rising again in his throat.

“Dean isn’t heartless and I think that sleeping with Cas and being bonded with him was a lot more than just getting even. He owes you to help you. Besides, Cas wouldn’t let him not help you, even if Dean didn’t want to, himself.”

“I don’t want to ask him any favors. He humiliated me”, Michael said and started crying again.

“Michael, this is more serious than your wounded pride. If you don’t remove the mark, as long as he is alive, it will be a burden to your health. You need to remove it and if having another mate is not an option, then you have to ask Dean to do the treatments with you”, Gabriel insisted.

“I don’t want to do treatments. All I want is Dean. I don’t want to lose his mark…” Michael kept whining.

“God, help me!” Gabriel exclaimed.  
“Get up from the fucking toilet, you’re getting a shower. You smell like shit. I told Hannah to call Balthazar to come and check on you. He must be on his way here by now”, he told him then and tried to lift him up.

“I can’t shower, I’m too tired. I wanna puke…” Michael said in a tired voice and hugged the toilet, stubbornly.

Gabriel just stood up and crossed his hands in front of his chest, sighing deeply.  
“It’s not like you’re throwing up anything. There’s nothing left in your stomach. Do it in the shower, if you must. But you’re getting a shower, end of discussion. It will make you feel better.”

“I can’t stand up, you idiot… I’ll fall… I’m too weak”, Michael muttered and then closed his eyes again.

“We’ll fill the tub with water, then. Either way, you’re getting washed”, Gabriel informed him and then went to prepare Michael’s bath.

While he was filling the tub with hot water, he heard footsteps coming from Michael’s bedroom and turned around to see who it was. When he did, he saw Balthazar standing over his brother and watching him worriedly. Hannah, then stepped inside and informed him of the doctor’s arrival.

“Dr. Michaelson is here, sir”, she said.

“Yes, I can see that. You can go now. We’ll call you, if we need anything”, Gabriel told her and then Hannah left, sparing one last worried look on Michael before she did.

“What happened?” Balthazar asked, after she was gone.

“Hey, man. Thanks for coming on such short notice”, Gabriel said, as he hugged him.

“No problem. I was in the area, for another patient and I was done, when Hannah called me. So, what’s wrong with him? He looks really dehydrated. Has he been throwing up for long?” Balthazar asked, kneeling next to Michael and touching his forehead to check for a possible fever.

“Hannah told me that he’s been throwing up, all night”, Gabriel replied.

“Why? What caused this?”

“Can’t you smell it on him? He got stupidly drunk. That’s what caused this.”

“And his eye?” Balthazar said and looked up at Gabriel. Michael seemed to have fallen asleep on the toilet.

“Long story. But I need to tell you, ‘cause I need your advice”, Gabriel said and Balthazar nodded.

“Were you preparing him a bath?” Balthazar asked and Gabriel nodded.  
“Let’s wake him up and put him in the tub and then you’ll tell me. He has a fever, so don’t make the water too hot. Turn on the cold”, Balthazar finished and then started poking Michael to wake him up.

“Hey, Michael, wake up…” he said and Michael opened his eyes tiredly.

“Help me get him undressed and put him in”, he instructed Gabriel and the other did just that.

After bathing him and putting him in new clothes, Gabriel and Balthazar helped him in his bed, having asked Hannah to change the sheets first. Balthazar made sure to put an IV in his arm to rehydrate him, with medicine for the headache and then they both left the room, letting him sleep it off.

“So, what did you want to ask me? What kind of advice do you need?” Balthazar asked Gabriel then.

Gabriel sighed and buried his face in his hands to calm himself, while leaning on the wall outside Michael’s bedroom, before he could speak.  
“Well, your bestie, Cas, messed up big time”, he said and Balthazar looked at him, confused.

“I don’t understand. What does Cassie have to do with any of this?”

“We didn’t tell you anything, while he was at the hospital, because we had more important things to worry about, then, but… Michael’s husband, Dean, is actually Castiel’s true mate”, Gabriel confessed and waited for his friend’s reaction.

“Shut up!” Balthazar exclaimed and couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  
“Is that why he’s breaking up with Anna?” he asked.

“Yes… but there’s more. Yesterday, Cas slept with Dean and broke Michael’s mating mark, placing one of his own”, Gabriel told him next.

“Wow, that’s… So, this is why Michael got drunk, huh? At least it will be easier for him, now that the bond is broken”, Balthazar said.

“Not quite, I’m afraid it’s the opposite.”

“What do you mean?” Balthazar asked, confused.

“Michael let Dean bite him, during the mating ceremony and bares his mark”, he answered and watched as his friend’s eyes widened in horror.

“Why the hell would he do such a thing? He’s an Alpha. Only Alphas are meant to give mating marks and there is a serious reason why. And trust me it has nothing to do with their higher place.”

“Yes, I know. It’s because of how rare the Omegas are. It’s difficult to find a different male Omega and undo the first one’s mark”, Gabriel said.

“No, that’s not the reason. A male Omega’s mark can never be completely undone or replaced by another’s. The Alpha that becomes bonded to him, after baring his mark, has to either spend the rest of his life mated to him or if not, he has to be in close contact with him. If he doesn’t do either, there is a chance that this will have serious drawbacks on his health”, Balthazar finished, as Gabriel kept looking at him with horrified eyes.

“What are you saying? That Michael can never get completely rid of the mark? What if he does therapy and then gets it surgically removed? It should work, right? Dean would agree to do the treatments with him”, he reasoned then.

“Yes, in an extent it should work, but not completely. At least, if he does the treatments it will stop the mark from acting negatively on his health. However, I’m afraid that it won’t stop affecting him, even if it is completely removed by surgery”, Balthazar replied.

“What do you mean, when you say that it won’t stop affecting him? Affect him how?” Gabriel asked.

“He will still miss the Omega and it will be extremely hard for him to find a new mate”, Balthazar said and looked sympathetically at Gabriel’s sad expression.

“Yes, but…” Gabriel started, but Balthazar interrupted him.

“I know, but that’s the risk you take, when you let an Omega bite you. They are basically created to be irresistible and hard to let go. You should know by the way your two own brothers keep fighting over one.”

“Shouldn’t it be the same for Dean, though? Why does he get to be free of the mark so fast? Shouldn’t this affect him, too?” Gabriel asked then.

“No, Omegas are not programmed like that. An Alpha’s claim isn’t as important to them. We haven’t studied yet such case, though. I don’t know whether his claiming mark on Michael affects him at all. It probably doesn’t, since he’s not the strong one in the relationship. But, then again, we’re talking about an Omega. Everything is different, when it comes to them. Especially when it comes to the male ones. They get people -Alphas mostly- to fall in love with them, not the other way around. They don’t get as attached. If you say that Dean is Castiel’s true mate, then great. Perhaps that relationship is not doomed to fail; but the minute he got rid of the mark, he completely stopped being bonded to Michael. It’s easy for Omegas to move from one Alpha to the next or to have multiple partners even, at the same time. This is the part that has to do with their rarity. Their nature makes them unsure and it’s difficult for them to make decisions. They mostly are all over the place and that affects their love life, too. However, they are not aware that they’re doing it. They feel like everybody else. They have no idea of their charms and how badly they affect others.

“So, what you’re basically saying is that you have never studied a case, where an Omega has claimed an Alpha, to know everything about it?”

“I haven’t. But others have. The problem is that they studied the effects it had on the Alpha and not the other way around. This is very rare. Omegas don’t claim Alphas. It is unnatural. We mostly have cases with Alphas who have claimed Omegas and then their bond was broken. We say that Alphas and Omegas mate for life, but you would be surprised by how high the rate of broken bonds between such couples are. And I’m certain that this has everything to do with the Omegas’ personality and their ‘wishy-washy’ character.”

“Okay, but, while Dean and Michael were still together, Michael didn’t seem to be so attached. He fucking cheated on Dean. That’s how he got the black eye. And now he looks devastated. I’ve never seen him like that, Balthazar”, Gabriel said.

“Michael was probably acting out, during their marriage, due to his insane jealousy. I mean, his own brother turned out to be his mate’s true mate. That has to mess with someone’s head, but I’m certain that if you had paid more attention to their marriage, you would have seen the signs of Michael’s addiction to the Omega, even early on. Alphas tend to be very protective of their Omegas. They would destroy everything that stood in their way in order to protect them. I’m certain that if such case had arisen, Michael would have acted the same way and that he would have put his jealousy aside.”

“Yes, it’s true. Michael was very protective of Dean, since the beginning”, Gabriel admitted, before he continued.  
“But that was before he found out that Cas was Dean’s true mate. He became cold afterwards with Dean. Dean told me that they’ve been sleeping in different rooms for two months now.”

“And I’m sure that that messed with Michael’s head pretty badly. It was probably what led him to cheat. He must have been feeling very lonely. An Alpha needs his Omega always by his side. Now, that he doesn’t feel the pull of their bond returning back to him, though, it’s even harder for him, because he is a claimed Alpha. It must feel terrible to have a partial bond with someone. He needs to start doing therapy with Dean, immediately”, Balthazar told him and Gabriel nodded.

“Thank you, Balthazar. I’ll make sure he does. Thank you for coming”, Gabriel said and then led him to the front door.

“Anytime. Please, call me, if you guys need anything.”

“We will. Bye…”

“Bye…” Balthazar said and then he was gone.

…Α-Ω…

Being again inside this building, where everything had changed, less than forty eight hours ago, made Dean feel weird; but it was okay, because, now, he had Cas by his side. He knew that facing Michael again would be hard; although, it couldn’t be worse than when he faced him back at home. Clearly not his home anymore. His home was now anywhere that Cas was. However, he couldn’t shake that feeling that something was terribly wrong in the whole situation.

As he got into the office he shared with Gabriel, he dropped himself on the couch and Cas joined him right after. The Alpha noticing the troubled look on his mate’s face, finally decided to talk.  
“What’s wrong, baby? You’ve been silent for some time now. What’s troubling you?” he asked, while he took Dean’s hand in his own.

“Nothing, just… coming here, I guess, brought all the memories back. I’m also worried about the meeting, today. How Michael is going to act”, Dean confessed and then leaned on Cas’ side.

“It’s going to be hard, but we will be okay”, Cas promised.

“What if it’s not? What if he tries something? I don’t want him to do anything to you, because of this.”

“He won’t. Stop doing this to yourself. Everything is going to be fine”, Cas assured him and kissed him on the top of his head.

“What are we going to say to everyone? How will they react, when they find out that we’re mated? I’m afraid to tell dad. We haven’t even told Gabriel yet. Do you think Michael has told him? Do you think he knows? Zachariah will be an even bigger asshole, now”, Dean kept worrying, as he hugged Cas tighter, feeling the warmth that was radiating from his mate’s body.

“Gabriel should be the least of your worries. He knows about us, anyway. He was never against us. He has shown me great support in the past. Besides, it was Michael who cheated on you, before anything happened. You would break up with him, anyway. Even if nothing had happened between us. Isn’t that right?”

“Yeah, I guess. I just can’t help but wait for the other shoe to drop”, Dean muttered and then, Cas placed his hand under the Omega’s chin and lifted his head, so that he was now looking at him.

“Don’t worry, my little Omega. Everything will be okay. I’ll protect you, no matter what. I love you”, Cas said and then brought their lips together in a kiss.

“I love you, too, Cas…” Dean told him back, but before he had a chance to kiss him again, he heard the office’s door open and they both turned to see who it was.

“Brother?” Cas acknowledged Gabriel’s presence.

“Well, I see you’ve wasted no time”, Gabriel told them both and then went to sit in his desk’s chair.

“You know…” Dean muttered. It was not a question.

“I do…” Gabriel started to say, but Cas interrupted him.

“Then, I hope you know all the facts and that you know that we had every right. Michael cheated on him”, Cas defended Dean and himself.

“Oh, I know all the facts alright. Even the ones you don’t know.”

“Is he here yet? Did you see him?” Dean asked.

“Michael won’t come to the office, today”, Gabriel replied.

“Why not?” Dean asked again.

“He’s not feeling very well. He needs rest.”

“Why, what happened?” Dean looked concerned and that just pissed Gabriel off even more.

“Are you really asking me what happened? You happened! He got drunk and he was puking all night”, Gabriel replied in an angry tone.

“Gabriel, don’t talk to him like that. It’s not Dean’s fault. Michael was the one who wronged him first”, Cas jumped into the conversation to defend his mate.

“Yes, of course. It’s never Dean’s fault. Dean just happens to always get what he wants, without caring about the mess he creates.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dean asked, feeling offended.

“Can I ask you something, Dean? You already knew that Cas was your true mate, when you married my other brother, did you not?”

“I… yes, I did, but things were different back then. My father pushed me to marry Michael. I had no choice.”

“However, you did have a choice not to bite him, did you not? If you didn’t love him and knew that it wasn’t going to be forever, why the hell did you claim him?” Gabriel asked, looking furious.

Dean just stood there, with his mouth hanging open, unable to find what to say next, but after a moment, he finally started speaking again.  
“I… I wasn’t thinking. It was an automatic reaction to his bite…” Dean confessed and felt heat rise to his cheeks.

“Please, just tell me you didn’t bite Cas as well, because that just makes it all worse. I can’t deal with another crap like this in the future”, Gabriel said and looked at them both expectantly. “So?”

“Dean did not bite me, but I don’t understand why you’re making such a big deal out of it. Dean is an Omega. His bite isn’t powerful like that of an Alpha. It is powerless. That’s the reason that Omegas never bite their mates”, Cas answered, getting tired by his brother’s meaningless overreaction.

“Actually, brother, it’s the exact opposite. Turns out that the bite of an Omega is much more powerful than that of an Alpha. I called Balthazar earlier to come see Michael and he explained a few things, when I asked him about it”, Gabriel said and then told them the whole story Balthazar had related to him earlier.

“What? You’re joking, right?” Dean exclaimed, when Gabriel finished what he had to say.

“Do I look like I’m joking? Michael is a mess and it is all your fault and now you’re going to help and fix it. I don’t want my brother to get sick because of you. We have enough troubles with Luke, I don’t want to have to worry about Michael too. So, I called a therapist and you’ll be starting sessions with her in two days. Don’t you dare say no! We’re talking about his health here. You’ve messed him up enough as it is. This is what you will have to do, if you want that divorce. Besides, I called Michael’s lawyer; he told me all about that agreement you two signed. We’re letting you get away with the rest. Mostly because I think that they were totally unfair, but you’re doing this. It’s the least you can do. You owe him that much”, Gabriel demanded.

“Of course, I will. I would never let him suffer”, Dean agreed.

“Good. Now, we should be getting ready for that meeting…” Gabriel said, as he stood up. Well, this was going to be fun.


	47. New Adjustments

When the time for the meeting came, Zachariah was the first one to enter the meeting’s room and he looked like he was about to kill someone. Adam had left him hanging and had out of the blue sent him his resignation letter, without a single explanation why. Then, Zachariah kept calling Michael, but the Alpha wasn’t answering his damn cell phone and the stupid maid in his house wouldn’t give him on the phone or tell him what the hell was going on and where he was. So, the moment Gabriel entered the room with the other two, Zachariah immediately stood up from his seat and confronted them.

“What the hell is going? Where is Michael?” he yelled at them and glared mostly at Dean.

“Uncle, calm down and please sit down. Today’s meeting will have to be postponed. However, I need to tell you all some very serious things and I need you to follow what I say”, Gabriel said and then went and took Michael’s seat at the head of the table, while Cas and Dean sat together on his right side and Zachariah on his left.

“What’s going on? Why is Michael not answering his phone and why wouldn’t anyone from the staff tell me where he was? Dean, I take it that you know what’s wrong with your Alpha?” Zachariah asked and kept glaring daggers at the Omega, as Dean tensed at his seat.

“I will tell you”, Gabriel spoke, making his uncle turn to look at him.  
“Michael is sick and he won’t come for a few days at the office. He needs to rest”, he finished and Zachariah looked more worried than pissed for the first time.

“Is it something serious? Is that why they wouldn’t tell me anything? What’s wrong with him?” he asked, looking frightened for his nephew’s health.  
“What did you do to him, bitch?” he yelled at the end, turning his furious eyes back towards Dean.

“Zachariah, please be quiet and let me finish”, Gabriel demanded and Zachariah did just that, holding the poison in his mouth, in order to hear what was wrong with his nephew. Cas took hold of Dean’s hand under the table, feeling his mate’s discomfort.

“Michael isn’t sick per se. He’s recovering from a bad hangover. The reason he won’t be coming to the company for the next few days, though, isn’t that. What I’ll say next must not leave this room. No one can know about this, until Michael feels better and decides how he wants to proceed with these news”, Gabriel said, while looking at everyone, making Zachariah stare at him with more interest than before.

“Michael and Dean are getting a divorce”, he announced.

“What?” Zachariah asked, turning to look at Dean, shocked.

“Dean and Cas have taken the next step in their relationship and they’re mated”, Gabriel continued.

“WHAT?” Zachariah yelled.

“Uncle, be quiet”, he paused.  
“I’m sure you’re wondering where Adam is this morning. I believe he sent you his resignation letter?” Gabriel asked, while looking at the Alpha to his left.

“Yes, he did. But what does Adam have to do with any of this?” he asked confused, still ready to burst with anger.

“Michael cheated on Dean with Adam and Adam was forced to quit his position here. I assure you that Michael is more than okay with the decision. Dean mated with Cas after the events and after he broke up with Michael, so, I will ask you to stay calm and listen, before you say anything”, he warned him and waited for Zachariah’s nod to continue.  
“It is important that no one in the company, or outside the company for that matter, knows that Michael and Dean are getting separated”, Gabriel said firmly, staring at his uncle and then turned his attention more towards Cas and Dean.  
“You two are free to be together, but you’re not allowed to show any sort of affection inside the walls of this building. No one can know. You can only tell the news to your closest friends and those you trust, but other than that, it needs to be a secret. Michael’s attorney, Metatron, has asked me to make sure of that. He says that if these news get out, it will be bad for Michael’s reputation and therefore, it can affect negatively the company. We’re just getting back on our feet; we don’t need another scandal. The scandal about mom and Lucifer trying to take over the company was bad enough and they keep writing about it. So, we definitely don’t need a second round of the papers that saw the light, right after the wedding. It was hard to close everyone’s mouth about the brother, who claimed to be the true mate of Michael’s spouse”, he paused.  
“As for dad, Michael will decide when he’s ready to tell him, so, I’m asking everyone to be subtle about it and not say anything”, he said and then turned to Dean.  
“Dean, you can tell your father and brother, if you want, but make sure that mine doesn’t find out. Your relationship can only become public after the divorce is finalized, but you with Michael will decide, when you want everyone to know that you’re getting divorced. That’s all I had to say…” Gabriel finished and everyone looked uncomfortable around him.

Zachariah wanted so much to yell, but he knew he had to follow Gabriel’s advice and be quiet about it. He didn’t want the people near the room hearing anything about this.  
“So, when is Michael coming back?” he asked instead.

“When he’s feeling better, I suppose”, Gabriel replied and then turned again to Dean.  
“Dean, as I told you, earlier, though, your therapy sessions will begin in two days’ time. The sessions will be held at Michael’s apartment, so there’s no reason to worry about him getting there. We’ll talk later about when specifically you’ll have to be there. That is it. We can all return to our offices, then. The meeting will be rescheduled, so that Michael will be able to attend it. Dismissed!” he finally said and got up from his seat and then hurriedly left the office. Dean and Cas both stared at Zachariah for one moment, while he was glaring at them, and then, they followed Gabriel outside, leaving the Alpha alone, once more, to sigh in frustration.

…Α-Ω…

A few hours later, Dean and Cas were back in Cas’ apartment, sprawled together on the couch and watching TV. They had been back for about an hour and the only thing they had strength to do was to change their clothes and make some grilled cheese to eat, before they crawled together on the couch and under a blanket. Cas kept running circles with his hand on Dean’s arm, as they both seemed absorbed by what they were watching, but the Alpha could feel that the Omega’s mind was elsewhere.

“You know, you’re gonna fry your brain with so much thinking”, he murmured in Dean’s hair, as Dean was lying mostly on his chest.

“Hmm?” Dean murmured in response.  
“Sorry, I just can’t stop thinking about everything that Gabriel told us, today. I feel kinda guilty for making Michael go through this. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I just wanted to be happy with you. I didn’t want to cause him any more pain than necessary”, he paused.  
“To be honest, I thought that he wouldn’t even care. I was convinced he had no feelings for me. All I ever was to him, during our marriage, was business”, Dean admitted and then buried his head deeper in his lover’s chest and took a deep breath.  
“I know you hate that I keep thinking and talking about these things. I should only care about us. We’re finally together and we deserve this”, he finished.

“Dean, as much as I love being always the center of your attention, I understand. You’re good and you’re sensitive. That’s one of the things I love about you. I wouldn’t want you to take this lightly or ignore it. I know you’re a better man than that. And even though, Michael wasn’t the best husband to you, you two spent enough time together to make you care about him. I’m not insensitive either. It troubles me too, but I won’t let this shadow our relationship. When you start the treatments with him, everything will turn out for the best. We’ll finally be free and he’ll be able to move on. I don’t want my brother to be unhappy. I know that my passion and love for you has turned me selfish in the past and that I’ve done terrible things; things that I’m not proud of. But I don’t want to be like that anymore. I caused enough pain to all of us as it is. Michael has forgiven me many times and it’s time to return the favor”, Cas said and then kissed Dean’s hair again.

“Cas, you were never selfish. I just put you through so much pain and made you act out of character. I know you… I know who you are and what you’re capable of. The moment we were mated, everything became so much clearer. I finally could feel the intensity of your love. The love that we were both denied and that we suppressed. I finally felt what you’ve been telling me all along. I realized what it felt like to have a true mate. It felt like we belonged. All the doubts vanished. I never had this, when I was with Michael. I was always tortured by thoughts of ‘what ifs’ and ‘what am I doings’. But not anymore. Now, I’m sure that I made the right choice. You are everything to me and I’ll never let you go”, Dean said and raised his head to meet Cas’ lips in a sweet kiss.

“I love you, Dean. You have no idea… I finally feel whole, after so long. I never felt this complete. I promise that I’ll never let you go either…” Cas answered back and then leaned down for another kiss.

Soon, it was a full on make out session and everything became too heated under the blanket. So, Dean took the liberty of throwing the blanket on the floor as he attacked his lover’s neck with kisses that would definitely leave a mark for the next day. But not the bad kind of mark. Dean was careful not to do again anything stupid like that.

Cas hummed in contentment as he felt his blood hastily travelling south and he lifted his mate by his hips and placed him right on top of him, claiming Dean’s lips in another kiss. The Omega smiled, then, on the other man’s lips, despite himself, making Cas look at him in amusement.

“What?” Cas asked and smiled at his mate.

“Nothing…” Dean said, while blushing.  
“It’s just…you know, I could really get used to this… all the cuddling and the love making”, Dean admitted and then attacked the Alpha’s lips again to hide his embarrassment.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Dean”, Cas told him, after stopping the kiss for a while.  
“I feel the same way… It’s so wonderful that I finally get to have you in my arms like this. Warm and willing. You’re so perfect, you have no idea”, Cas said and then maneuvered them, so that he was lying on top of Dean, earning a chuckle from the Omega.  
“You’re the most beautiful person in the whole world for me. I love you so much”, Cas repeated his earlier statement, staring intensely in Dean’s green eyes with his blue ones.

“I know; me too. I love you!” Dean also repeated and kissed his mate with all he had, making them both fall off the couch and start laughing.

“My perfect mate…” Cas muttered with a smile playing on his lips, before he claimed Dean’s again, making the Omega squirm with delight, while lying on top of the Alpha again.

Not too long after that, Cas reached for the waistband of Dean’s sweatpants and drove his hand under the Omega’s underwear and right between his cheeks, feeling the slick that was already wetting the fabric of his clothes. With tentative fingers, he found Dean’s entrance, circling it first and then, he entered him, making the Omega gasp at the intrusion. Cas felt Dean’s heartbeat rise against his chest, along with the short and fast pants of breath that were escaping his mouth.

“Cas… I… oh…” Dean kept muttering incoherently.  
“Please…” he said then.

“Please what, baby?” Cas asked.

“I need you…” and this was all the Alpha really needed to hear to take action.

Hurriedly, he removed his hand from the inside of Dean’s underwear, only to drag them completely down and off, along with the Omega’s pants. Dean, never stopping his kisses on Cas, did the same, as the Alpha helped him by lifting his body a little from the ground, so that Dean could slide his sweatpants and underwear also down and off his legs.

When they were finally both naked, Dean positioned himself right on top of Castiel’s crotch and with his right hand guided the Alpha’s penis inside him, while lowering himself with a slow smooth motion. Cas stared up at him like he was about to say something, but Dean shushed him by placing a finger over his mouth.

“I know…” he told him and then started riding him slowly, before he picked up the pace a little later. Cas held him by his hips like he needed desperately to hold onto something, so that he wouldn’t lose it, and couldn’t stop the whimpers and the pants that were escaping his mouth, as Dean was bringing him closer towards bliss.

The connection they felt, when they were like this, was nothing like they had ever experienced before, and it really was something special that they cherished every time it happened. As all the other times that they had slept together, since Dean came to live with him, –and they were a lot, considering that he was living there for only two days- everything else disappeared around them and the only thing that kept them grounded was each other.

“Cas, I’m so close…” Dean said, while moaning, a little later.

“Me too…” was the only thing that Cas could say in return, losing his breath for a moment before he could speak again.  
“It’s okay, baby… you can cum for me”, the Alpha panted and Dean immediately obliged, unable to hold back any longer, clenching around the Alpha’s knot and sending him over the edge too.

“That was…” Dean muttered, trying to find his voice again, while lying on top of Cas, feeling that he had absolutely no strength left in his body to move not even a muscle.

“Yeah…” Cas agreed, still panting hard, while staring at the ceiling.  
“We should probably move this someplace else, if we don’t want our backs to hurt in the morning”, he said then.

“I can’t really move… I’m tired”, Dean replied in a sleepy voice.

“Okay, we’ll stay here for just a little longer”, Cas muttered, getting sleepy as well and then reached for the blanket that they had earlier dropped on the floor and covered them both up, before he kissed Dean’s hair, who was now asleep on top of him. Okay, so maybe they would have to stay for a lot longer than planned.

…Α-Ω…

TWO DAYS LATER…

Dean was staring at the clock placed above the couch, where Dr. Missouri Moseley was sitting. They hadn’t even started yet and he felt nervous as hell. Michael was sitting next to him, silent and looking like he had a few drinks before Dean and the doctor came for the session. Even though, it was just a few days since that dreadful Saturday, the Alpha seemed to have lost weight and the absence of sleep was obvious on his face. His beard was now more apparent and the whole I haven’t showered for some time was screaming on him, from his unruly hair to his slippers. He hadn’t even bothered to wear shoes for this. Gabriel knew what he was doing, when he arranged for the appointment to be held in Michael’s apartment. Nothing on him reminded Dean of the Alpha he had met a few months back.

“So, let’s get started, shall we?” Missouri said, making Dean look at her, while Michael kept staring at the floor. Missouri glanced first at Dean and then at Michael, and wrote something on the pad she had on her legs, before she looked up again.  
“As I told you, my name is Dr. Missouri Moseley and I’ll be your therapist for a number of sessions, in order to try and completely break the bond that was created between the two of you. We don’t know yet, how long that will take. It will depend on the progress that is made after each session”, she explained and noticed Michael’s utter indifference in her words, which caused her to turn to Dean first.

“You are Dean, correct? The Omega?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, Dean, Michael’s brother, the one that contacted me to arrange this appointment, told me a few things about your situation and I would like you to confirm them, if that’s not a problem for you.”

“Okay?” Dean replied and waited for her to begin.

“Gabriel told me that your marriage wasn’t going too well for these past few months and maybe even since the beginning. He said that you, first, were unfaithful to your Alpha, after only a few days of being married and mated to him. Is that true?” she asked.

“Yes, it’s true. But there was a reason behind it…” Dean started to say and Missouri urged him to continue.  
“My marriage with Michael was something arranged and I had never met him, until just a few days before the wedding. I didn’t love him and on top of that, I happened to meet my true mate, during those first days I spent in California with his family. My true mate is his brother, Cas. I never planned for this to happen, but it was something that neither of us could control. The night I cheated on Michael with Cas, it was after a big fight Michael and I had and I was upset. We were fighting since the first day of our marriage, because Cas told everyone that he was my true mate, after the wedding was completed, and Michael thought that I had been cheating on him the whole time; which was, of course, not true. I felt guilty, though, and I stopped before the end. We didn’t go all the way, although we did have sex. I’m not denying that”, Dean answered and felt Michael move uncomfortably next to him, without saying a word, though. It was obvious that Dean’s words were hurting him. Admitting that he didn’t love him, hearing again about how he was unfaithful to him.

“Michael, what do you have to say about all the things that Dean just told us? How do you feel? Did you know all that?” Missouri asked, pulling Michael out of his thoughts and causing him to look at her for the first time.

“I…” he fought to find words.  
“I suppose, I knew that Dean didn’t love me… I just didn’t want to see it at the time. And it really hurt, when I found out that he had cheated on me with my brother, but I didn’t want to lose him, so, I tried to hide how hurt I was and told him that I had forgiven him. I never did. I’m still hurt… I really tried to be a good husband to him, but he wouldn’t let me…” Michael confessed, causing Dean to tense next to him and respond.

“What kind of bullshit is that? He ‘tried to be a good husband’? How exactly? By being distant? Putting me in a different bedroom, away from him? Making a damn agreement?” Dean exploded.

“Dean, don’t get upset. We’re having a civilized conversation here and I’m going to have to ask you to be calm. We’ll talk about these, later. What interests me now is to learn more about those early days of your relationship. Michael told us how he saw things. How he felt. Even if you don’t agree with his opinion, he has the right to express it. This is what therapy is all about. We have to lay all our cards on the table. You both need to say what you’ve been suppressing all these months that led you to want to break the bond. That, along with other methods, will make it easier for you to let go of each other and move on”, Missouri finished and Dean huffed with annoyance.

“I don’t need to let go. I already have. I’m only doing this for him. He’s the one who’s a mess and I honestly don’t understand why, since he was always a terrible mate to me. Now suddenly he’s all broken and shit. Why? I’m not so sure I believe the things Gabriel told me about the Omegas’ bite, anymore. I have never heard of that before. And why the hell wasn’t it affecting you, when you were cheating on me with fucking Adam?” Dean yelled, as he turned to look straight at Michael, towards the end. Michael said nothing to this and looked even more miserable, if possible.

“Dean, stop this right now. You are talking to me, now. Can’t you see that you’re upsetting him? I said I want to talk about the first days of your relationship. How did Michael treat you, then? Before you got married”, Missouri changed the subject and Dean fell again backwards on the couch, sighing deeply.

“I don’t know. He was a bit of an ass, but not in the way you might think. He was so sure of himself and so damn prideful all the time that he got on my nerves. He was trying to play nice with me, but his real self would show sometimes. All I saw was a businessman doing another business transaction. I was the means to an end for him. I knew that he wanted me to give him children. He has expressed this many times since. He even put it in the damn agreement. But, I guess, I thought that he wasn’t that bad, then. He was respectful towards me and he didn’t touch me, before I wanted him to and let him. He took care of me during the heat that hit me before the wedding and after getting sick, and that made me like him even more. That’s it, though… I didn’t love him, then. I was just grateful for the kindness he showed me. I expected everything to be much worse, before I met him and it was a relief to know that I was wrong and that he was actually a decent person.”

“Michael, do you have an answer to that?” she asked then, turning towards the Alpha.

“I was in love with Dean, before I even met him. I mean, I was in love with the idea of him. When I first saw that picture of his, I knew I wanted him to be mine. I’m not proud of it, but I acted like any other Alpha. I became possessive of him, even though I hadn’t even met him yet. I had been searching for an Omega for years, although I never said it publically. For me my life was my company and that was all I ever cared about. When I first started looking for an Omega, it was because I wanted to have children that would someday inherit my life’s work and grow to be great themselves. I never planned on falling in love. That was until Dean came along. When he got sick, only a few days after he first arrived, I became so worried about him. I was so afraid of losing him that right then, I knew how screwed I was. In just a small period of time he had managed to become necessary to me and the love I started feeling for him was only intensified, when we got mated. I never stopped loving him after that…” Michael said and lowered his head. Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes.

“And what about you, Dean? Did you ever love Michael, after you two got married? Earlier you said you didn’t love him, then. Does that mean that you loved him afterwards?” Missouri asked, turning again towards Dean.

“I…” Dean started to say, as he glanced at Michael, before looking back at his hands in his lap.  
“I was confused for a while. I knew I had deep feelings for Cas, even though, I tried to suppress them, but I wasn’t sure what it was I felt for Michael. At some point I was convinced that it could be love, but then I would change my mind again. When Cas was shot, I was really scared for him and me and Michael became even more distant. At the time, all I could think about was Cas and if he was going to make it and be okay. I realized how much hurt I would be, if he didn’t pull through. The moment Cas opened his eyes again and started recovering, however, he wasn’t the only thing that troubled my mind, and I started to notice how much Michael and I had drifted apart and I didn’t like it; so, I confronted him, but it only led to bigger problems. The agreement came, along with his business trip to London for a whole month and then, when he came back, we continued to be distant. So, to answer your question, I don’t know, but I don’t think whatever it is I felt for him was honest love... It was something different. I can’t explain it, really. I was naïve to ever believe that I was in love with him”, Dean finished.

“I see… Don’t you think, though, now that you know about what an Omega’s mark can do that it could be that? Or did you feel this way before you marked him? If you’re so certain that you love this Cas, why would you have feelings for Michael too? Alphas tend to be very possessive and monogamists really. What would you say about Omegas? If you already had met your true mate, why would you choose to bite Michael, even though, you had no feelings for him?” Missouri commented, making Dean stare at her.

“What is this? A third degree interrogation?” the Omega asked, while looking on edge.

“Dean, don’t take this the wrong way. Don’t get defensive. It’s a simple question. I just want your opinion on the matter, because it seems very strange to me”, Missouri stated and waited again for Dean to respond.

“I… I don’t know why I did it. It was just the heat of the moment. And I really can’t talk on behalf of other Omegas, since I don’t really know any, besides one asshole, but whatever… I wasn’t planning on returning Castiel’s affections then. So, I guess, I tried to make sure that he would stay away from me and that I would do what I was supposed to do and be with Michael, like my father wanted me to. This marriage was more important for my family’s wellbeing than myself. I had to make sure they would be okay, so I tried to connect with Michael everyway possibly. If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have done it”, Dean told her, causing Michael to stand up.

“Excuse me, but I don’t think I can deal with this anymore for today. I heard enough and I just can’t”, the Alpha said, looking upset, and then started walking away.

“Wait, Michael… we’re not done yet. You’ll just have to endure it, if you want any progress to be made. I don’t want to upset you with more questions, but I most definitely need to get to the second part of today’s therapy, if we want to get somewhere. I swear it will be much more pleasant for you”, Missouri promised and then, Michael sat back down, hesitantly. Dean just spared him a look and then turned back towards the doctor, waiting for her to continue.

“Well, as I said, I won’t continue with the questioning. We’ll have more sessions to cover the other issues that I want you to talk about, but for today, we’ll continue with the second part of the treatment. Dean, I want to say especially to you that this is a very important part and I don’t want you to react negatively to it. You might be weirded out by what I’ll ask you to do, but remember that it is important and that it’s not something that I made up. It occurs in every therapy that has to do with bond breaking and it is crucial; even more crucial than the actual talking, because it is your bodies that are bonded and not your minds and that is why it affects Michael so much”, she said, while staring at Dean.

Dean looked uncomfortable by her words.  
“What the hell is it that you want me to do?” he asked then.

“I want you and Michael to have some physical contact…” she started to say, but before she could finish, Dean bolted upright, like he was burnt and interrupted her.

“No way, I’m not doing that. I’m not having sex with him or anything like that. Forget it”, he yelled.

“Sit down, son. Nobody said anything about sex. I just want you to let him hold your hands and hug you for a while. Maybe scent you and I want you to scent him back. Dean, the bond breaking can’t be abrupt and we have to do it in stages. You already have stopped having sex for a while now, so we’re long past that stage. In every therapy session, it will be needed less and less, until finally he will be able to go on without you touching him at all. I can tell that you breaking his bond with you has already affected his health negatively and I don’t want to take any more risks here. He needs to feel some sort of connection with you, even if it is just for a little while”, Missouri reasoned, as Dean was contemplating her words, still standing up. He wanted so badly to leave and ran to Cas, but he had promised Gabriel that he would help Michael with this. And anyway, he, himself, didn’t want Michael to suffer.

“Okay, I’ll do it”, he said and sat back down, causing Michael to stare at him.

“Perfect. You’re doing the right thing. I promise”, Missouri assured him.  
“Now, please begin. Get closer to each other and embrace”, she asked them.

They both just stared at each other for a while, hesitating, but then Dean took the initiative.  
“Here goes nothing… Screw it”, he muttered and then fell in Michael’s arms that immediately closed around him and held him tight.

Michael looked like he was going to have a break down, holding onto Dean for dear life, until Dean spoke again, bringing him out of his thoughts.

“Michael, I can’t breathe… You’re crushing me…” the Omega gasped, as he tried to get free of the Alpha’s strong embrace.

“Michael, relax… Dean is right here. He’s not going anywhere. You don’t have to hold him so tight”, Missouri intervened, while getting up.

Michael, listening to her words, relaxed his arms around Dean, but tears started falling down his face, wetting Dean’s shirt in the process. Dean, realizing that the other man was crying, sighed deeply near the Alpha’s ear and tried to comfort him by rubbing soothing circles on his back with his hand.  
“It’s okay”, he murmured.  
“You’re gonna be okay…” he said and felt Michael relax even more in his arms.

“Dean?” said Missouri then, in a soft voice, standing two feet away from them.  
“I want you to find your mark on his neck and I need you to do something very important, okay?” she said and Dean immediately searched for his mark on the Alpha’s skin, pulling out of the way the T-shirt he was wearing.

“You need to lick over it and give it some of your attention. Kiss it, maybe?” she asked hesitantly, waiting for Dean to react and deny it. Dean, however, upon seeing his mark on the Alpha’s skin, dived right in and mouthed it, giving it open kisses and licking it, making Michael tremble in his arms at the attention the mark on his skin was getting. At the sensation, Michael seemed lost for a moment and tried to kiss Dean’s neck in return, but Missouri’s words held him back.

“No, Michael… you need to learn to control yourself. You need to realize that you’re not allowed to kiss Dean back. You don’t have that right anymore…” she said in a strong voice, causing Michael to bury his face in Dean’s neck, feeling embarrassed, as Dean continued giving soft kisses on the mark.

“It’s okay, Dean. You can stop now, and you can slowly let go of each other”, Missouri instructed next and Dean did just that, slowly removing himself from Michael’s arms and looking inside the Alpha’s eyes, which were red from all the crying.

“Are you okay?” he asked, concerned.

“Yes, thank you, Dean”, Michael replied, talking directly to Dean for the first time, since the therapy had started.

“This was a very important step. The next time Dean does something similar to you, I want you to be less affected by it. That was it for the first session. I don’t want to make Michael more emotional, since it’s only our first time, but we’ll talk more on our second session; so, I want you, Michael, to be mentally prepared for it, okay?” she asked, looking at the Alpha.

“Okay”, Michael answered.

“Perfect, I’ll see you guys in a week. Same day, same place, same time”, Missouri said and got up from her seat on the couch.

“Thank you, doctor, goodbye”, Dean said and accompanied her to the entrance. The moment they were alone and out of Michael’s sight, Missouri turned to him and talked in a low voice, so that Michael wouldn’t hear.

“Dean, thank you for doing this. You’re a good boy. I know you had no obligation to do it and that you’re now building a new life with the man you love and that you’ve been through a lot that no one in your age and in the time that we’re living should go through, but I really appreciate it. Michael really needs it and from the way he looked at you at the very end, I could already see a difference in his stance. It will be over before you know it. Don’t worry… and forgive me if I made you feel uncomfortable. It was not so much about you, but Michael needed to hear all these things that you’ve never discussed with him. It will make it easier for him to understand and move on, without being crushed in the process”, she told him and smiled at him.

“Yeah, okay. I understand. I’ll do whatever it takes. Forgive me for not being so cooperative”, Dean said in turn.

“You have no reason to apologize, darling. It was only natural. I’ve seen far worse, so, trust me, you did just fine. Better than I expected. Even if you don’t love him, it’s clear that you care about his wellbeing and that’s what makes this work”, she added and patted Dean on his arm.  
“Goodbye, boy…”

“Goodbye”, Dean replied and then she was gone.

Getting back to the living room, he found Michael sitting in the same spot as before.  
“I… I’m heading out, now. I don’t want to trouble you anymore with my presence. I’ll see you next week… or at the company, if you decide to come”, Dean said, hesitantly, as he wore his leather jacket over his shirt.

“Okay…” muttered Michael, looking up at him.  
“Thank you, Dean”, he said and he fell silent again, looking away.

“Bye, then…” Dean told him, sparing one last glance towards the Alpha’s way and then he was gone.


	48. Breaking the News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, people! Buckle up, because there are only two chapters left in this part after this. But remember, the end of this part isn't the end of the story, so you will have to wait for the next two parts that have the two alternative endings to get your happy endings!  
> So, please enjoy and share your thoughts with me. I'd like to see what you all think of this! XOXO

THREE WEEKS LATER…

The low sound of the TV playing in the background was the only thing that could be heard inside the empty room, as Cas was lying on the couch with his laptop on his legs, working and finishing some of the things he didn’t have a chance to finish, while he was at the company today. It was half past eight and soon, Dean would be back home, after the fourth appointment with the therapist at Michael’s apartment. The Alpha just hoped that there wouldn’t be too many sessions left, but he was patient.

Things seemed to be going better, according to Dean, and soon, he and Michael would be able to get divorced. However, to his eyes –and everyone else’s really- Michael still looked awful, even though, he had returned to the company and he was working longer hours than he had ever worked before; and that was really saying something, because he was a workaholic. It was apparent that he wasn’t taking care of himself and the weight he had lost was too obvious for everyone not to notice anymore. People had begun whispering in the corridors of the company, but still no one knew what was going on. Most of them seemed to think that it was just the stress of work that was eating him up and had no idea that there was something wrong with him and Dean; especially since Dean was working there also and their working relationship seemed great. Just like Gabriel had asked them, Cas and Dean were very careful not to show any sort of affection, while they were at work, to not raise any suspicion, and so far it was working. But their love life out of the company was something else entirely.

In a few days, it would be their first anniversary. They had been together for a month now and Cas knew for sure that this was the happiest month of his whole life. Being with Dean was something that came naturally to him and it was as easy as breathing. He had totally forgotten what life was before the Omega and he dreaded to go back to it. Luckily, though, he wouldn’t have to.

Suddenly, there was the noise of keys turning inside the keyhole that made Cas look away from his laptop and at the door. Not a moment later, Dean walked inside.

“Hey…” he said, when he noticed the Alpha on the couch.

“Hey, baby. How was the appointment?” Cas asked, turning off his computer and putting it away.

“Good, it was okay… Uh, have you eaten yet?” Dean said as he sat next to Cas on the couch.

“No, I was waiting for you…” Cas retorted and paused, when he noticed the look on Dean’s face.  
“What’s the matter? You seem tensed. Is something wrong?” he asked then, as he moved closer to the Omega and put his arms around him.

“Michael and I talked about coming clean with the family. We agreed on having a dinner this weekend with our fathers to tell them the news. I… I mean I knew this day would come, but now that it’s finally here, I’m afraid to tell my dad. To be honest, I’m surprised he hasn’t figured it out yet, but it’s so much worse now that I have to tell him and your dad on the same day. I’m scared of his reaction. He’s going to be disappointed in me”, Dean finished and leaned against Cas, burying his face in the Alpha’s neck.

“Don’t worry, baby… It’s going to be okay. I know that the idea of telling your dad has been bothering you for a while now. It’s time to get it off your chest”, Cas murmured in Dean’s hair, holding him tightly and rubbing soothing circles on his back.

“I know… It’s just… If I tell him that, I’ll have to tell him where I have been living for the past month. I will have to tell both him and your father about our relationship and I don’t know how they’re going to react.”

“They might get angry at first, but they’ll accept it in the end. Our fathers love us and they will understand”, Cas told him and then paused for a minute.  
“So, is it going to be just you, Michael and our fathers at this dinner?” he asked.

“No, we… we thought it would be best to have the rest of the family for support, since they already know. Also, we didn’t want our dads to get suspicious, before we tell them, by inviting just them. Dad will need to have Sammy by his side, when it happens. It’s a great relief that my brother knows everything and that he is supportive. I couldn’t stand him turning against me too. Actually, Sammy is a huge fan of yours. It was funny how happy he was when I told him. It wasn’t the reaction I expected”, Dean retorted and relaxed in his mate’s arms.

“Does that mean that I get to be at this dinner?” Cas asked him then.

“Are you kidding me? You’re the most important guest. I need you by my side to find the necessary courage and tell them everything”, Dean said and then kissed Cas’ neck. The Alpha smiled and huffed an amused sigh.

“You can always count on me, Dean. I’ll be right there by your side. And then, we will celebrate our anniversary without anything troubling our minds”, Cas whispered towards the end and kissed Dean’s hair.

“So, you do remember”, Dean muttered, causing Cas to laugh.

“How could I ever forget? This was the best month of my whole life.”

“Mine too…” Dean said and closed his eyes.

Cas smiled and held him tighter against his body.  
“I’m glad to hear it…” he murmured and closed his eyes too.

…Α-Ω…

It was Sunday afternoon and everyone had gathered at Michael’s apartment for the supposed dinner. Chuck had been one of the first to arrive -along with Gabriel, since he was living with him for these few days that he was staying in New York- and he couldn’t hide his excitement upon the invitation, ‘cause he thought that the real reason of the gathering was that they wanted to announce they were expecting. Little did he know that it was the exact opposite, and Gabriel didn’t try to correct him. This was Michael’s and Dean’s job after all.

Dean’s father was also in the dark, but he didn’t read anything into this particular invitation. If he was being honest with himself, it had been over a month since he last visited Dean and it was high time that his son had invited him. Not that he hadn’t seen his son during this time, because Dean paid often visits to his and Sammy’s apartment, but he hadn’t seen Michael for a long time and he was really looking forward to seeing his son in law again. However, for some unexplained reason, Sam kept delaying and in the end, they managed to arrive last at the apartment.

Zachariah and his wife and son were also there, as well as Cas and Anna. It felt weird that she was there, but Chuck had demanded to invite her too. Just because she and Cas were getting a divorce, it didn’t mean that she wasn’t still a part of the family. Besides, she was carrying his grandchild and she would always be in their lives. Though, the one looking out of place in there wasn’t Anna and her now apparent round belly, but Michael.

The moment Chuck laid eyes on his son, he realized that there was something wrong with him, but he didn’t say anything. Like all the others at the company, he assumed that he was under a lot of stress and that was why he had lost so much weight and looked so tired, with dark circles under his eyes. The last events at the company and the fact that Chuck thought he was about to become a dad should be enough to make anyone lose their sleep. When John saw him, however, he didn’t have the same reaction.

Upon seeing Michael’s figure, when he and Sam entered the apartment, he gasped in horror.  
“Michael, son, what the hell happened to you? You look terrible. Haven’t you been eating at all? What the hell has Dean been doing? Dean, can’t you see that you’re husband has become incredibly thin? Why haven’t you done something about it?” John said, as he turned to face his son, who was standing close to Michael.

“Mr. Winchester, I assure you I am fine. Let’s not make a big deal out of this. I’ve just been really stressed. It’s not like Dean could have done anything about it”, Michael retorted, before Dean had a chance to speak, as he greeted John and Sam uncomfortably.

“First of all, please don’t call me Mr. Winchester. You know that I see you as another son. Call me John or father or dad, anything but Mr. Winchester. I thought we were past that phase. And second of all, what stress are you talking to me about? You’re a young man, you shouldn’t be stressed like that for any reason and Dean has the obligation to look after you. That’s what mates do”, John kept talking, unaware of the pain his words were causing. Michael looked like he was about to throw up at the older Winchester’s comments.

“Dad, let’s just get inside and see the others. You’ll talk about this more, later”, Sam intervened, while looking at Michael’s pained expression and sensing his brother’s inability to speak.

“Yes, okay, but I don’t like this. You should take better care of yourself, son…” John finally commented, as he patted Michael’s shoulder and moved further inside the apartment.

What followed next was a lot of small talk in an awkward environment, during dinner and neither Michael nor Dean seemed ready to confess the reason that they invited everyone. Of course, everyone else knew and they were just humoring Chuck and John. The only one who didn’t know apart from those two was Anna, but she could sense that a big announcement was coming and she could tell that something was terribly wrong from the moment she saw Michael. The Alpha was like a brother to her, ever since she got married with Cas and it made her really sad to see him like that.

Naomi and Samandriel knew about it as well, but all they did was spare some worried glances towards the couple and nothing more, as they remained mostly silent. Zachariah, on the other hand, kept glaring at Dean with all the hatred he could master, while the Omega was sitting between Michael and Cas and looked pale and ready to pass out at any second now. All this waiting was killing him and all he could do was hold onto Cas’ hand under the table to not collapse right in front of everyone. Zachariah just hoped that his father would yell at him or hit him or whatever. In his mind the little shit deserved it for everything he had done to his nephew.

When they moved back to the living room for drinks, Michael decided that now was as good a time as any and he finally asked for everyone’s attention.  
“Uh, dad… John and everyone else, there is something that I need to tell you”, Michael said, causing everyone’s conversations to cease, as they turned to look at him. Chuck looked expectant at his words. He had noticed that Dean was drinking only water during dinner and he thought that it was another sign that there was indeed a baby on the way and he couldn’t wait to hear the announcement.

“Dad, I know that I told you that this was just dinner, but there is a reason why I called everyone here today and it is very important”, Michael started to say, while Dean was shaking like a leaf next to him.

“Yes?” Chuck urged him to continue.

“It has to do with Dean and me. We…” he hesitated for a second and looked at Dean to his right, who nodded at him and then he continued. “We are getting a divorce.”

Upon hearing his words, both Chuck and John gasped in horror.  
“WHAT?” they both asked simultaneously. Dean dared to look at his father then and immediately regretted it. John looked furious.

“What are you talking about, Michael? You can’t possibly be serious. Is this a joke? I thought that you were going to announce that Dean is pregnant. What the hell?” Chuck went on, as he got up from his seat on the couch.

“I assure you, dad, that I am deadly serious and that there is no pregnancy. And well, if there was, it wouldn’t be my doing”, Michael replied and clenched his teeth, as he waited for his father’s reaction.

“What is he talking about, Dean? What pregnancy wouldn’t be his doing? Are you pregnant? Who got you pregnant, if not your husband?” John yelled at his son.

“Dad, I’m not pregnant, relax…” Dean pleaded, still shaking uncontrollably with fear.

“RELAX? You’re asking me to RELAX? Why the hell are you getting divorced? You and Michael were supposed to be together forever! You are an Alpha/Omega pair for God’s sake! Who was it that got between you, huh? Did you cheat on Michael? Answer me, Dean, RIGHT THE FUCK NOW!” John kept screaming at his son.

“I was the one who cheated”, Michael said firmly, getting up from his seat, leaving John to stare at him speechless, with his mouth hanging open.  
“I cheated on Dean with Adam, the guy you met the previous time you were all here. After that, Dean and I both agreed to separate and Dean has been living with Cas ever since. They are true mates, after all. They deserved a chance with each other. It was all my fault, so don’t blame him or my brother. We have been seeing a psychologist and we are close to breaking our bond. Soon, we’ll be able to file for a divorce we have mutually agreed upon”, the Alpha finished and everyone stayed numb at their seats, while John was still staring at him speechless and Anna was doing the same with Cas, with a hurt expression on her face. The silence broke, when Chuck’s hand hit Michael’s face hard.

“Hey, hey, dad… don’t do this!” Gabriel yelled, as he ran to stop his father.

Michael said nothing at first and looked at his father with a broken expression on his face.  
“I’m sorry… I… I made the biggest mistake of my life. One that you warned me about. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. God knows I’m paying for it…” he finally admitted and lowered his head, as tears started running down his face.

“Wait a minute here. So, Michael had a moment of weakness, so what? He’s an Alpha! That doesn’t mean that you, Dean, get to abandon him like that and go play house with his own brother!” John yelled at his son again.

“Really, dad? You’re taking his side again? So, he had a right to cheat on me, because he is an Alpha? Is that what you’re saying?” Dean asked his father with a hurt expression on his face. Why couldn’t his own father take his side for once!

“You can’t get divorced like that… The psychologist could help you get over this and save your marriage instead of breaking it. There is no reason why you shouldn’t try.” John kept saying, still choosing to ignore all the facts.

“Really, dad? Are you serious? What part of ‘I’m with Cas now’ did you not get? I love him and we’re mated, God damn it! There’s no turning back. It’s done. I’m bonded with Cas now”, Dean retorted and grabbed Cas’ hand and held it tightly inside his own.

“You two are mated? Then what bond are you trying to break with the therapist?” Chuck asked, interrupting their fight.

Michael, composing himself, decided to speak again.  
“Dean bit me at the ceremony and now we’re trying to break his Omega bond with me. Well, I’m the only one affected by it, but it should be over soon. We’ve made great progress.”

Chuck just stared at him for a moment and then asked Gabriel to let go of him, before he moved right in front of Dean and Cas, who were looking at him terrified, holding onto each other for support.

“So, you two love each other, then?” Chuck asked softly.

“Yes, we do”, Dean said reassuringly, as Cas said the same.

“Then I guess, I have no reason to be opposed to it. I think you’ve suffered enough and I don’t want to get in the way of this, anymore. Cas, I’ve been unfair to you in the past, although what you had done at the time was terrible, but I want to see you happy; and if Dean is what makes you happy, then I’m okay with it. If Dean is your true mate, then so be it. It must be the will of God! Who am I to question it?” he finished and took them both in his arms and hugged them tightly.

When they pulled apart, Cas had tears in his eyes.  
“Thank you, dad…” he muttered and Chuck smiled at him.

“Excuse me, I have to go… I can’t take this anymore…” Anna spoke out of the blue and immediately headed for the exit, Naomi running after her, saying that she had to make sure she was okay.

“As for you, Michael…” Chuck turned to look at his other son, “I couldn’t possibly be more disappointed in you than I am right now. I’ve warned you about this and yet you still did it. I’m ashamed of you, but… I’m glad you were sincere and you didn’t try and hide behind Dean’s and Cas’ relationship. I'm glad that you defended them. Maybe there is a chance for you, after all. From now on, I expect you not to get in their way or try and break them apart. The divorce must be fair on both sides and I don’t want it delayed for any reason. Once the therapy is over, you’ll get it all finalized as soon as possible. Understand?” Chuck finished, while staring at his son.

Michael looked like a wet dog at that moment.  
“Yes, father. I understand…”

“Good… I need to go now. Gabriel, please take me back to your place. This was too much for one day”, Chuck told his other son and headed towards the exit -like Anna and Naomi had done earlier- Gabriel following right behind him, while muttering his goodbyes and patting Michael on the shoulder.

“Dad?” Dean asked John hesitantly then.

“I’m sorry, Dean, but I’m not as forgiving as the others. I’m very disappointed in you. This was not just Michael’s fault and I think you know it too, even though he took all the blame. I know my son better than everyone else in here and I could see it in your eyes that there was more to this story. I need time to calm down, so don’t call me for a couple of days. I’ll come to you, when I’m ready”, John said in a firm voice and then turned to look at Cas.

“Castiel, I guess I’ll see you. I have a few words to say to you too, but now it’s not the time or the place. Now, if you’ll excuse me...” he finished and looked at his other son.  
“Sammy, grab your things. We’re leaving.”

“Yes, dad”, Sam replied and gave Dean a sympathetic look.  
“It’s going to be okay. He’ll get over it”, he whispered to his brother’s ear, when he reached him.

“Bye, Sammy”, muttered the Omega and smiled sadly at his brother.

At least the worst part was over.

…Α-Ω…

Their first anniversary was everything that Dean could possibly wish for, and Cas really went out of his way to make everything perfect for the Omega. Arranging dinner at an expensive restaurant, having a private tour at the planetarium, where they held hands and kissed the whole time and then, returning home to a very romantic atmosphere that was their friends’ gift for them. That night, they made sweet love to each other that seemed even better than their first time. Still, however, there was something that was bothering them and didn’t let them be in bliss. Everything was shadowed by the fact that Dean’s father was still not talking to him and Dean felt terrible about it. His day with Cas might have helped to get his mind off of it, but Dean couldn’t let himself be completely happy. He needed his father’s approval for that. He needed him to forgive him and give them his blessing.

And that day came only two days later. Dean was getting ready for work, while Cas was drinking coffee in the living room, when they both heard the doorbell ring and exchanged looks. Dean letting his tie hang loosely around his neck went to the door and opened it, only to find his father standing awkwardly on the other side.

“Good morning, son”, John muttered, while looking at Dean’s eyes.

“Dad? You… Uh, good morning. Please, come in…” Dean said and moved to the side to let his dad inside the apartment.

“Mr. Winchester, it’s good to see you. Good morning…” Cas also said, getting up from his seat to greet him. Suddenly, he felt hot all over.

“Please, call me dad…” John retorted and smiled at his son, who was ready to cry.

“Dad?” Dean mumbled and then John walked towards him and pulled him in a hug, holding him tightly in his arms and kissing his hair, as the Omega cried softly.

“It’s okay, Dean… I love you so much. I’m so sorry for making you sad. All I want for you is to be happy and I know that Cas will make you happy, so it’s okay”, John kept whispering in his son’s hair as Dean kept crying.

“I love you, dad.”

“I know… I know. You’re my good boy and you always did everything that I asked you. All of this is my fault. I’m the one who forced you to marry Michael and I never should have yelled at you, because you fell in love with someone else. You found your true mate and I’m so happy for you”, John said and kissed his boy’s hair again.

“Thank you, dad. You have no idea how much this means to me”, Dean mumbled, trying to get the words out from all the crying.

“I’m so sorry, Dean. I’ve been a terrible father to you. If your mother was here she would have been supportive to you from the beginning. She would never have let me marry you to an Alpha you didn’t love or know. I let you down so many times. I’m so sorry. I was blind… I was so stupid. My fear of losing you and Sammy to that asshole, Samuel, blinded me and I made all the wrong choices. I’m so sorry… I’m so fucking sorry”, John kept saying, as tears started running down his own face.

“It’s okay, dad. I forgive you for everything. All I want is for us to be a family again. For you to get to know Cas and love him as much as I do…” Dean said, pulling away to look at his father.

“Well, that would be a little difficult, with you and him being true mates and everything…” John retorted and both father and son laughed, causing Cas to smile at the sight.

“What are you still doing over there, son? Come here and join us for a hug, now that it’s still on the table. We Winchesters can only handle just a few chick-flick moments”, the Alpha said, turning to look at Cas, who was standing just a few feet away.

Castiel, upon hearing John’s words, immediately went to them and was quickly pulled in a hug by both father and son, letting a sigh of relief and contentment, as he felt Dean purr with happiness next to him.

“Promise me, you’ll take care of my boy… Promise me, Castiel”, John muttered over Cas’ head, touching his hair with his lips.

“I promise. Dean is my life. I’ll do everything within my power to make him happy…” Cas said and then felt John kissing his hair.

“I’m so proud of both of you…” John muttered, tightening his grip around them.  
“Be happy boys, that’s all I ask…”

And that was a nice wish.


	49. An Unexpected Turn of Events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, everyone, even if it comes two days later! Ho ho ho... :-P  
> So, there's only one more chapter left after this! This particular chapter might be not as long as others, but it comes with shocking news. I hope you enjoy! XOXO

FIVE MONTHS LATER…

It was late at night and Cas and Dean were sleeping snuggled together under the blankets in their bedroom, until, suddenly, a phone call broke the room’s silence. It took a while for them to realize what was happening and wake up properly, but then Dean stirred in Cas’ embrace, while the Alpha was still curled around him like an octopus and he murmured.

“Mmm… Cas, it’s your phone, baby”, Dean managed to get out in a sleepy voice.

“I’m sleeping…” Cas mumbled, still not realizing what was happening, and held the Omega a little tighter against his chest, while burying his face in the back of Dean’s neck, nuzzling his short hair.

“Your phone is ringing…” Dean said, in a firmer voice, more awake than before, affected by the way the phone was ringing so urgently.

Cas, letting out a tired sigh, rolled over to reach for his cell phone, which was lying on his nightstand and then fumbled with the touch screen to answer it.

“Hello…” he muttered in a sleepy voice, while bringing his hand over his eyes to rub away the sleep. Dean turned around then slowly to look at him and see what was going on.

Cas seemed silent for a moment, listening to the other person on the phone, still half asleep, when suddenly his eyes flew widely open and he sat upright on the bed in one quick motion.

“What?” he asked, panicking. Dean looked at him concerned and sat upright too.  
“Yeah, no… I’ll be there as soon as I can. What hospital? Okay… see you”, Cas said and then hurriedly got up from the bed, turning on the lights, and started looking for some clothes.

“Cas, what happened? Who’s at the hospital?” Dean asked, staring at the Alpha, while he frantically searched for his clothes.

“Anna. Her water broke. She’s having the baby, now. It was her mother on the phone”, Cas answered, putting on a pair of jeans.

“Oh my God… Really? I’m coming too, then”, Dean said and got up from the bed.

“Dean, it’s late. You can rest, you don’t have to come. It might be hours before she gives actual birth. You can come in the morning.”

“No way am I missing out on the birth of your first child, Cas. I want to be there for you, just as you’re gonna be there, when I’ll be giving birth to our babies”, Dean retorted, making the Alpha smile at him.

“You’re a treasure, you know that? The day you’ll have our first child will be a blessed day”, Cas said and hugged his mate tightly, giving him a sweet kiss on the lips.

“I know, but for now, let’s just worry about this one…” Dean replied and smiled at him, before he moved to get dressed.

“Be quick… We’re leaving in five minutes, okay?” Cas said, while getting inside the bathroom to pour some water on his face and brush his teeth. When he reached the sink, however, and looked at his face in the mirror, he realized how much he was panicking.

“It’s okay, Cas”, he told himself.  
“You’re going to be a dad. Everything is going to be just fine”, he promised himself. And everything was going to be fine, just different from the way he had pictured it.

…Α-Ω…

Five hours later and Anna was still in labor, but they were now close. Cas was standing by her side, as he had for the past hours, holding her hand and muttering soothing words to her, as she was screaming in pain. She had decided that she didn’t want the doctors to give her anything for the pain and that she wanted to give birth to her firstborn, as naturally as possible.

“The baby is crowning. I can see the head”, her doctor spoke suddenly, and Anna held on Castiel’s hand even tighter.  
“I need you to push real hard now, Anna”, the doctor went on and Anna did just that, while screaming her lungs out.  
“We’re almost there, honey… Push”, she went on and then the room was filled with the sound of a crying baby.

Anna sighed with relief, but when she turned to look at Cas, she saw him frozen in place, staring towards where they had taken her baby to clean it up, and the smile on her face disappeared. Everything became clear, when the doctors gave the baby to her to hold it for the first time.

Her doctor seemed nervous, when she congratulated her.  
“Congratulations, Anna. It’s a boy”, she said.

…Α-Ω…

Anna was now lying in the bed of her room, while her baby was sleeping in her arms. Most of the family had already congratulated her and it was only her mother and Cas in there with her.

Cas was standing up, staring out of the room’s window, when her mom kissed her forehead and spoke.  
“I think I should go. You two need to talk”, she said and glanced sympathetically at her daughter, before she left the room. There were a few minutes of silence, but Anna finally found the courage to speak.

“Cas?” she asked hesitantly. The Alpha, then, turned around and stared at her with a hurt look on his face.

“What, Anna? What? When were you going to tell me, huh? What did you think would happen? Where you just praying that the baby wouldn’t come out with dark skin, so that you could pass it as my own for the rest of our lives? Who the hell is the father?” Cas demanded to know.

“Raphael…” Anna whispered, ashamed.

“Ra… you… I can’t believe you. You and Raphael? Why? WHEN?” Cas was losing it. How could she cheat on him with that asshole, Raphael? Did she really have to pick his worst enemy to have the baby with?

Cas…” Anna started to say, while looking at Cas with apologetic eyes, but the Alpha interrupted her.

“I asked you a question. When, Anna? For how long?” Cas asked her as calmly as he could, considering the situation.

“Do you remember that weekend, when you had to go to Boston for that conference? The one, Michael couldn’t attend, because he was negotiating for Dean’s hand in marriage with his father?” Anna said hesitantly.

Cas just stared at her.  
“Yes, I remember. However, he wouldn’t tell me why he couldn’t make it to the conference at the time. I had no idea what his ‘so important job’ was. If I knew, I would have said no. Negotiating for Dean like he was cattle”, Cas murmured, remembering past events.

“Anyways, when you told me at the last minute that you had to leave, I got mad at you. We wanted to make that trip at the countryside and you totally left me hanging. So, that Friday night, after you left, I decided to have a girls’ night out with Kali, Lilith and my friend Sarah. We went out to a bar for drinks and I was bitching about you the whole night. At some point, Sarah said that she had to leave, because she had to open the auction house for her dad the next morning, and she asked me, if I wanted to catch a cab with her. I guess she could see that I was already a little drunk. Though, Lilith and Kali said that they didn’t want to leave yet and said that they would make sure, I got home alright and I agreed. After a few more drinks and sometime later, Raphael appeared at the bar and we started to talk. Honestly, I have no idea what he was doing there, because that place was really not his scene; but it didn’t seem weird at the time. Lilith and Kali kept giggling the whole time he was there and a few minutes later, they told me that they had to use the restroom and they left me with Raphael…” Anna said and then paused, hesitating.

Cas was now sitting on the chair next to her bed and was staring at her.  
“Go on…” he told her in a serious voice.

“When we were left alone, Raphael asked me about you. Where you were… Why I was there so late at night without you… and I told him everything. About you leaving for Boston, about me being mad at you… So, anyways, he then started to flirt with me. He told me that if he was you, he would never choose work over me. That I was too precious to be left alone for other Alphas to get their hands on me.”

“Of course, he did”, Cas muttered angrily and huffed an irritated sigh.

Anna glanced at him and then she continued.  
“I don’t really remember what happened next, but at some point it escalated and I found myself kissing him. The girls never came back. I don’t know where they were and when I tried to find them, I was unsuccessful. Raphael, then, offered to take me home and although, I declined, ‘cause I was already feeling guilty for what I had done, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. I remember falling asleep in his car and then, when I woke up again, we were outside his apartment. I was still drunk out of my mind and when I opened my eyes again, he started kissing me and… well, we ended up having sex, obviously”, Anna admitted, motioning at the baby in her arms.

“When I woke up the next morning in his bed, I was so ashamed. I picked up my clothes and left without waking him up. He tried calling me the next couple of days, but I never picked it up and before you came, I blocked his calls. I never slept with him ever again, I swear”, Anna finished and looked at Castiel, while blushing with embarrassment.

“If all this time, you knew that you had cheated on me with Raphael and that the baby was his, why the hell did you try to get back with me, when you knew very well that I was in love with Dean?” Cas asked, trying to understand all the craziness in this situation.

“I didn’t know the baby was his and I prayed that it wasn’t, because Raphael and I were a mistake. The only man I ever wanted to have children with was you; even if we never talked about kids, while we were married. But I knew that in the future, I’d want to have babies with you. And anyway, if you remember, our sex life was fine, before Dean came along. The baby could have easily been yours.”

“You’re a hypocrite, Anna, you know that? Ever since I realized that Dean was my true mate and that I loved him, you’ve been calling me all kinds of names; even before anything happened between him and me. And now you’re telling me that you cheated on me, first, while our marriage was still great –or so I thought- just because I went away for a weekend to work? I had a reason for what I did, you had no reason at all. You were supposed to be in love with me and yet you still cheated on me. Now that the baby is out of the picture for me, there are no further parameters to delay the divorce anymore. You can raise him with his real dad for all I care”, Cas said and stood up to leave.

“Wait, Cas… I know that what I did was awful, but please don’t do this. Don’t resent me. I still love you, I don’t want you to hate me, even if we’re not together. Forgive me, I…” Anna muttered, ready to cry.

“I don’t hate you, Anna. How could I? But you need to understand that this is difficult for me. Do you have any idea how much I longed for this baby? A baby that turned out to be someone else’s! When I saw the baby for the first time, today, I felt like a piece was ripped out of my heart. You have no idea how much I longed for this baby to be born. I had started making a nursery in my apartment for the days I would have the baby with me. And now? None of it matters. Everything, all my feelings, all this longing were in vain. You left me with nothing.”

“I understand…” Anna whispered, as a tear ran down her face.

“I’m not saying it’s forever… but for now, I need some distance. Don’t contact me, until it’s time for the divorce papers to be signed. Maybe, with time, I’ll be able to talk to you again. See how you and the baby are, but right now, I just can’t. It hurts too much”, Cas said and then went for the door and lingered there for a moment.  
“Congratulations on your baby, Anna. He’s beautiful, just like his mother. Goodbye”, were his last words and then he was gone, leaving Anna in tears, while she held her baby closely to her body.

“Bye, Cas…” she muttered in an empty room. This chapter was over.

…Α-Ω…

Castiel cried a lot that night. The day of his baby’s birth was something that he had been waiting for a long time and something that he was excited about. Now, everything seemed pointless.

“Cas, baby? Hey, it’s okay… you’ll get over this”, Dean muttered, before he kissed the Alpha’s hair, while they were both lying in bed, embracing each other.

“I know… it’s just… I can’t believe she did that. With Raphael? Really? That asshole? He… I hate him, Dean, and now he gets to be the father of a baby I thought was mine, until a few hours ago”, Cas complained and buried his face in Dean’s neck.

“Who is that guy, anyway? I’ve never heard of him. I didn’t know there was a person you disliked so much”, Dean said, as he ran his hand over Cas’ back, in soothing circles.

“We went to college together. He was this knotheaded of an Alpha. I don’t know if I ever told you this, but I met Anna in college. She and I both disliked him, because he was always sharing his opinion about male Omegas’ rights. He was against them and always talked about how male Omegas were bitches and were worth nothing”, Cas started to say.

“Well, I have the feeling that Anna now shares his opinion…” Dean muttered, but Cas just went on with his story without commenting on the Omega’s remark.

“I always knew that he liked Anna and he had made a few attempts to get her attention, but she always turned him down. After she and I started dating, he became furious and he always tried and challenged me about anything. When we finished college, a few years passed without ever seeing him. But then, he had the audacity to turn out at our wedding, uninvited. He didn’t do anything, but just his presence there angered me. Watching him charm his way into my family was awful, but then he had to make it worse. He asked Michael to hire him in his company and my idiot of a brother did. For the next few months that I had to work alongside him, my hate towards him grew. Michael, however, was really fond of him and he would always invite him to family dinners and so, I guess at some point, Anna forgot all about the dislike she felt towards him and they became friends. I could still see that he liked her, but I never thought that he would try and make a move on her. I guess I was wrong…” Cas said and paused.

“Anyways, six months later, he got a better offer from another company and he left. I had no idea he kept contact with Anna, but apparently he did”, Cas muttered and then hugged Dean tighter.

“I’m so sorry, Cas. I know that this is hard for you. I wish I could do something to make it better…” Dean started to say and the Alpha looked up at him.

“Sure you can. Just kiss me…” Cas retorted and reached up and locked his lips with Dean’s in a desperate kiss.

“I love you, Dean.”

“I love you, too, Cas…” Dean gasped and then kissed the Alpha again.

That day ended much better than it had started and for once more, it found them sharing their deep love.


	50. Bittersweet Symphony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah!!! This is the last chapter of the first part and my gift to you, my lovely readers, for New Year's!!! :D :D :D
> 
> Thank you all so much for the support, the kudos, the comments, the bookmarks and the subscriptions! You are all amazing! <3 
> 
> And now please, enjoy! XOXO

ONE MONTH LATER…

It’s funny how time passes and how rumors spread. Getting close to the end of their divorce, Michael and Dean had no choice, but to announce their upcoming breakup to the public. The thing about it was that no one was really surprised by it. The second the news spread, the rumors of why they broke up, spread also like wildfire. Cas stood as the main reason. No one ever really forgot about what he had done at the wedding and they were just waiting to be confirmed. However, the very rumors differed from one another. They began by saying that Dean left Michael for his brother, to him being pregnant by Cas, to the three of them having a threesome and then regretting it, leading them to divorce. It wasn’t, though, only Dean and Cas that were considered accountable for the breakup. Michael had his share of blame on this divorce too.

It hadn’t gone unnoticed to the employees of the company that Michael had hired another Omega and then that the said Omega suddenly resigned, while Michael himself didn’t show up at the company for at least one week after that; and afterwards, he looked always miserable. When they heard that the two were divorcing, they finally connected the dots and they were sure that Michael was the one who had cheated on Dean. After that, it wasn’t long before the rumors spread out of the walls of the company and papers started writing about it too.

But none of that mattered today. Today was finally the day that everything was coming to an end. Today was the day that they would sign their divorce papers and everything would be nothing but a memory between them. Cas’ and Anna’s divorce was finalized a week and a half before and this today was the last obstacle.

Dean stared as Michael hesitantly signed the divorce papers, before they were handed to him by the Alpha’s lawyer, Metatron. Michael was, for the first time in months, clean shaven and looked more like himself than he had for a while. He reminded Dean of when he had first met him, although now, he was still too thin to look like his normal self. 

“And you, sir, can sign at the spots where the green arrows point at”, the lawyer said, with a look on his face that made Dean want to punch him, but took the papers nonetheless and signed them.  
“And we’re done. Congratulations, sirs, you are finally, once again, single men”, Metatron told them, as he gathered the divorce papers.

“Thank you for your services”, was the only thing that Michael muttered as he got up from his seat, while Dean said nothing and only glared at him.

“It was my pleasure”, Metatron retorted, while smirking at the Omega, and then, both Michael and Dean left his office, and headed towards the elevator.

Once the doors shut behind them and the elevator started to move, Michael turned nervously towards the Omega, who was looking everywhere but at him.  
“So, are you and Cas going to celebrate tonight? You won’t have to hide your relationship anymore.”

Dean turned annoyed to look at him.  
“Look, Michael, don’t do that. We broke up as civilized as possible. We’re still working together -unless, of course, you changed your mind and now you want to fire me- and during our last session with Missouri, you gave me the idea that you were finally cool with all this. With us, being only friends and stuff”, the Omega retorted.

“I am, I promise. I was just making conversation. It’s been a long time, since you and I were alone, anywhere. I guess, I don’t know what is appropriate to talk about. The only times when we were truly alone, were when we were in our bedroom… and that was a very long time ago. It feels like it was centuries ago”, Michael muttered, remembering.

“Yeah, well, let’s keep it that way. What’s in the past is in the past…” Dean said and paused.  
“I hope that you know how much I want you to find the right mate for you”, he told him, then, seriously.

Michael smiled at him, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.  
“I had my chance and the right mate and I let him slip through my fingers. But that’s life, I guess. We can’t have everything we want. God gave me the privilege to be successful and rich. To have all this around me. I now realize that asking him for love too, was hubris”, he admitted and lowered his head.

“Don’t say that. I don’t believe that. You will find the right person for you. I just know it. Besides everything, I still love you; not as a mate, but as a friend. I know what a great guy you are and under different circumstances, maybe you and I could have worked. I know you have this tough exterior and you don’t let anyone in easily, but I got glimpses of your true self, and all I can say is that you deserve to find love, because you have a lot of love to give back.”

“Thank you, Dean, for your kind words, but I don’t think any of that really matters. I might not feel your mark pulling me towards you anymore, but I’m still damaged goods. I don’t know, if I’ll ever be able to put myself out there again… To look for a new mate. I’m still broken inside, shattered… But enough with the whining”, Michael said and shook himself, trying to smile and hide his feelings again.  
“I only hope that you have better luck with Cas. I love my brother and I want him to be happy too, even if it means that I’ll be unhappy for a while. But time heals everything. I promise, I’ll be fine! So, don’t worry about me. Maybe I will find a new mate. Who knows? God works in mysterious ways”, the Alpha finished, as he felt the elevator come to a stop, when it reached the ground floor.

“Goodbye, Dean. It was nice being married to you. I wish you all the luck in the world”, Michael told the Omega with a smile, and when the doors opened, walked out.

“Goodbye…” Dean muttered, frozen in place.

Their life as a married couple was over.

…Α-Ω…

THREE MONTHS LATER…

The apartment echoed with laughter and voices. Dean’s nineteenth birthday was a total success and everyone was there. Cas and Gabriel, along with Dean’s friends, had planned it so that the Omega knew nothing about it. It’s needless to say that when he entered the apartment and they all surprised him, Dean couldn’t hide how happy he was. He never had a birthday party like this before, with all his loved ones surrounding him, and he couldn’t help but tear up at the sight. An hour later, however, and after the cake was eaten, he started feeling melancholic all over again.

That’s when Chuck suddenly approached him, while he was standing alone, staring outside the window.  
“You look thoughtful. What’s troubling you, son?” he said, as he patted the Omega on the back.

“It’s nothing really… Just, around the same time last year, I became an Omega and then I was betrothed to Michael. It feels weird… how much things changed over a year. Before becoming an Omega, I had completely different plans of how I wanted my life to be and then, everything changed in one night. A year later, and everything is entirely different again”, Dean admitted and sighed.

“I understand. Changes are hard, but they’re always welcome, when it’s for the best. Look how happy you are, today. You and Cas have come a long way. I’m proud of you. I’m glad that at least one of my sons has found true love and happiness”, Chuck said and lowered his head sadly.

“Is it true, then? Gabriel and Kali are getting a divorce?” Dean asked, concerned, while looking towards where Gabriel was sitting, talking with Cas and his brother, Sam.

Chuck followed the Omega’s gaze, looking at his son and spoke.  
“I’m afraid so, yeah. I never really liked her, but my son seemed happy with her. It makes me sad that my first instinct about her was right. She confessed on cheating on Gabriel with that guy she was working with, Baldur. Gabriel hasn’t really showed how sad he is, though, because deep down he already knew. It didn’t come as a surprise to him. They’ve been fighting long before this happened. Even if she hadn’t cheated on him, I think my son would still divorce her”, Chuck confessed and sighed deeply, while looking outside the window.

“Like you said, maybe it’s for the best…”

“Yeah, maybe…” Chuck muttered and Dean barely heard him, because of the loud music.

“Are you still in contact with Lucifer? How is he and Lilith? Not that I care really, after what they did, but he’s still Cas’ brother”, Dean asked, turning to look at Chuck.

“I honestly don’t know anything about him. They both disappeared. They left their apartment and they disconnected their phones. I have no idea where they are. I can’t say that I’m not worried about him. Okay, yeah, what he did was awful and I was really disappointed in him, but he’s still my son and I care about him. Perhaps he was afraid that Michael would press charges against him and that he would go to prison. I don’t know what his reasons to disappear like that were. But Michael would never do that. He and Luke have their differences, but they always loved each other deeply and Michael would never harm him like this. But, maybe things have changed, if what Lucifer did is anything to go by”, Chuck said and paused, when he heard one of Dean’s friends, Benny, erupt with laughter.  
“He must be okay, though. Bad news always travel fast. If anything had happened to him, we would know. I pray to God for him, every day. Perhaps, he’ll find his way back to us”, he finished and then buried his face in his hands, as he sat in the armchair next to the window.

Dean sat hesitantly in the armchair next to Chuck’s, before he spoke again.  
“So, how is he?” he asked, while blushing, unable to meet Chuck’s gaze.

Chuck stared at him knowingly for a moment and then looked away again, at the people that were moving around in the living room, before he answered.  
“He’s okay… The last time we talked, he was in Melbourne. He’s been traveling a lot these past three months. It helps him forget, I guess. He needed some distance. He’s trying to get on his feet again, but you must understand that he needs time for that.”

“When was the last time you spoke with him?” Dean asked, concerned.

“Last week… He told me to give you his wishes for a happy birthday”, Chuck replied and smiled softly at the Omega.

“He did? I had no idea he knew when my birthday was…” Dean admitted and looked down at his hands that where lying on his lap.

“Of course, he did, Dean. He was your mate. Don’t you know when his birthday is?”

“Yes, of course I do, but I had no idea he paid any attention to that stuff”, Dean muttered and felt a tear making its way down his right cheek.

“Don’t cry, son. Michael will be alright. Soon, he’ll find a new mate and he won’t need to stay away to find himself. It’s just difficult right now for him, that’s all…” Chuck said and wiped Dean’s tear away, while smiling at him.

“I know… It’s just… I care about him. I don’t want him to be unhappy, because of me.”

“Don’t say that… Michael doesn’t blame you for anything. He’s just going through a big change in his life and he needs time to adjust”, Chuck reassured him and then paused.  
“I’m glad that you care about him like that. That you don’t resent him, because of everything that went down.”

“Of course, I do. I would never resent him. He means a great deal to me. He was my first lover… my first Alpha, and we shared some good moments, even if they weren’t plenty.”

“I’m happy you see it that way. I hope you know that he feels the same way too. Michael still cares about you and he wants you and Cas to be happy together”, Chuck said and smiled at the Omega.

“I know. He told me himself. You raised him to be a great man. He’s forgiving and caring, even though he’s hurt himself. I admire that about him”, Dean said honestly.

“You grew up to be a great man, yourself, Dean. Happy birthday, son”, Chuck said and pulled him into a hug.

…Α-Ω… 

Four and a half hours later, the party was over and Dean was still sitting in the same armchair as before. Cas said goodbye to the last guests and then shut and locked the door. When he turned to look at Dean, he saw the Omega staring at the floor in front of him.

“Is there anything interesting on the floor that I should know about?” he asked and smiled at Dean, as he approached him.

“Hmm? Uh, sorry, I just spaced out”, Dean muttered, as the Alpha sat down next to him and took his hand in his own.

“What’s the matter? Was the party too much for you? You barely moved your butt from this very armchair you’re sitting in now”, Cas commented and looked at the Omega’s eyes, concerned.

“No, Cas… the party was awesome. Thank you for planning all this”, Dean answered truthfully.

“Then, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. My birthday brought back memories. I always get sentimental this time of year. There’s no need to worry”, the Omega reassured him.

“Good or bad memories?” Cas asked.

“A little bit of both. My last birthday was eventful. I had just become an Omega and my mom’s family found out, when they came to celebrate with me. My grandfather thought that I was going to be an Alpha. When he saw me, he called me a bitch and then he left, dropping the cake he was carrying on the floor…” Dean said in a low voice, staring at the floor.

“Dean, hey… look at me”, Cas started to say and lifted Dean’s chin with his free hand. When Dean locked eyes with him, he continued.  
“All of that is in the past and I’ll never let anyone else hurt you ever again. I love you so much. You’re everything to me.”

“I know. I love you too. Don’t mind me, I’m just tired and speaking nonsense…”

“How you feel is not nonsense. You’ve been hurt a lot in the past, starting with your mother’s death…” Cas started to say and Dean looked away at his words. He couldn’t stand to look at him in the eyes, when he knew very well that it was Castiel’s father, the one who killed his mother and Cas still knew nothing about it. His memories never came back to him. He never remembered that Azazel was his real father and his mom’s murderer.

“Look, Dean… I know I can’t make it go away. I know I can’t change what happened in the past, but…” Cas said and then got up from his seat and then kneeled in front of Dean.

“What are you doing?” Dean asked him, shocked.

“I was planning to do this for a while now, but it never seemed like the right moment... And, as you have probably noticed, I didn’t get the chance to give you my gift, today…”

“Cas?” Dean asked shocked, staring at the Alpha’s blue eyes, as Cas took a small white box out of his pocket and brought it in front of him.

“I’ve been carrying this around for a couple of months now, sometime after our divorces were finalized, but I never felt brave enough to ask you”, Cas began to say, as he slowly opened the box.

“Oh my God…” Dean mumbled, bringing his hands to cover his mouth.

“They are wedding rings. One for you and one for me… Maybe I should have asked you first and then pick them out together, but I loved them the moment I laid eyes on them. They are the same, but mine has sapphires on it and yours has emeralds. Blue and green to match our eyes. They seemed only fitting. The stones are very small, but they’re noticeable. Simple and beautiful”, Cas said, as he took the one with the emeralds out of the box.

“Like I said, I know I can’t change the past, but I’ll make it my life’s purpose to make you happy every day for the rest of our lives. So, Dean, will you marry me?” Cas asked and held the ring in front of Dean, waiting for the Omega’s response.

“Of course… of course, I’ll marry you… And the rings are perfect…”, Dean said, as tears started to run down his face, before Cas placed the ring on his ring finger on his right hand.  
“I love you so much, Cas…” the Omega told him then, and pulled the Alpha in a hug.

“I love you…” muttered Cas and then, he kissed him.

“Give me the other ring…” Dean demanded and Cas obliged. The Omega took the wedding ring with the sapphire stones and placed it on Cas’ ring finger too.  
“You’re mine and I’m yours forever…” he whispered, before he kissed Cas again.

“Forever…” Cas agreed and kissed him back, as Dean wrapped his arms and legs around him.

Cas was drowning in happiness and it didn’t take long for him to lift the Omega up, like he weighed nothing, and move him to their bedroom, dropping him on their bed. His heart was fluttering inside his chest, as he pulled his shirt over his head -because he couldn’t wait to unbutton it properly- and dropped it on the floor, before he started undoing his pants. Dean, staring at him the whole time, did the same, removing his clothes as fast as possible, until he was lying naked and expectant for Cas to close that frustrating distance between them. Once Cas removed his last article of clothing, he climbed on the bed and kneeled before Dean, while claiming the Omega’s lips in a kiss, as the other stood upright on his elbows.

“I want you so much…” he mumbled between kisses.

“Then, have me…” came Dean’s answer, as Cas trailed the Omega’s hole with his fingers, before he easily pushed two of them inside. Dean was more than ready for him. He was producing slick like crazy, making Cas drunk from his aroma.  
“I’m ready, Cas… I promise”, Dean muttered and the Alpha obliged, removing his fingers and replacing them with his big Alpha cock. With one smooth slide, he bottomed out completely and then, he started rocking slowly, in and out of the Omega’s body, making him a writhing mess underneath him. Dean could do nothing more than moan and gasp at the sensation, taking everything that Castiel was giving him.

They were so desperate and so filled with emotion that release didn’t take too long to come after that. Losing his rhythm, Cas kept chasing his orgasm faster and faster, until he felt his knot swelling and catching on Dean’s rim, and then, while moaning loudly, he filled the Omega’s channel with his seed, as Dean came simultaneously between their stomachs.

After Cas wiped them both clean with a Kleenex, he moved Dean to his side and hugged him closely.  
“Forever, Cas…” Dean muttered again and kissed him, as he started drifting off to sleep. Cas just kissed him on his forehead and said nothing. He only made sure to cover them both with a blanket, before he too was asleep.

…Α-Ω…

***

He was in an unfamiliar place and his mother was sitting right next to him. The man with the evil eyes, from across the table kept staring at him, as the sound of sirens filled the room.

“I might be a trash, Castiel, but I am something much more important than that too… I am your real father…”

Cas starred at him with horror in his eyes, unable to believe him, as a loud voice was filling the room. Cas was too lost to understand what the voice was saying.  
“What are you talking about? My father is Chuck… I am a Novak… Mother, what is he talking about? ANSWER ME…”

His mother turned to look at him with a sympathetic look on her face, before she spoke.  
“The truth, Castiel… Azazel is your father… I’m not your mother… You are adopted… There is not even one drop of Novak blood running in your veins… You are a Collins… just like Azazel… You are his son…”

Then Michael’s voice came to his mind.  
“Cas, this man is really important to me… His full name is Azazel Collins and he is a drug dealer and a murderer and from the sound of it, owner of brothels… You must let him come to the house, so that we can tell the police… Cas, this man is the one who murdered Dean’s mother…”

“…who murdered Dean’s mother…”

“… Dean’s mother…”

“…who murdered Dean’s mother…”

“…You are a Collins… just like Azazel… You are his son…”

“…who murdered Dean’s mother…”

“…I am your real father…”

“…Cas, this man is the one who murdered Dean’s mother…”

“…The truth, Castiel… Azazel is your father…”

“…this man is the one who murdered Dean’s mother…”

Cas felt his heart beating like crazy.  
“No no no… that’s not true… it can’t be… you’re not my father… You… you killed Dean’s mom… you can’t be my father… No no…”

The voice filled the room again.  
“So, I was right… That Winchester IS the same one… Sorry, son… but business is business and trust me that bitch ain’t for you…” Azazel spit out the words, like they were venom.

“Don’t you dare call him that… Dean is not a bitch… Dean is the most wonderful human being and you are a murderer…” Cas argued, as tears filled his eyes. This man that claimed to be his father, had killed Dean’s mom. Because of him Dean had suffered greatly and was still suffering. No, it couldn’t be. If this was true, Azazel was right about one thing. Dean could never be his after this. He would never forgive himself for being the son of the man who took the life of Dean’s mother. True mates or not, he could never face him again. He had to leave far away.

The voice sounded once more, pulling him from his thoughts.  
“You are pathetic…” Azazel said and then the voice started counting down.

“…9…”

“Pining over a bitch…” Azazel kept talking.

“…8…”

“I can’t believe I waited so long to meet you…”

“…7…”

“You’re not the son I wanted…”

“…6…”

“So, I only have one use for you…” he finally said, standing up.

“…5…”

Out of the blue Cas felt a gun pressing against his head.

“IF YOU MOTHERFUCKERS WANT ME SO MUCH, GET READY FOR THE KID TO DIE… I WILL KILL HIM… LET ME GO OR I’LL SHOOT HIS BRAINS OUT…” screamed Azazel and Cas felt his heart freeze at his words.

“NOW I’M THE ONE WHO’S COUNTING DOWN…”, and before Cas knew what was happening, there was a sharp pain in his abdomen and then lights out.

***

Cas woke up, gasping for air. His heart was racing and he was soaked in sweat. Dean was lying peacefully almost on top of him, still in deep sleep. His arms circling him lovingly. For a moment Cas’ brain spaced out and he let the scent of his mate comfort him, but quickly that changed. Suddenly realization hit him hard and he started panicking all over again. In just one second everything was different. All those dreams and nightmares were finally making sense. He now knew what they were all preparing him for.  
“It’s all true…” he muttered to himself and felt as if he was about to lose his conscience.

…Α-Ω…

Dean woke up, as the sun filled the room and blinded him. Their haste to get to bed the previous day, didn’t let them close the curtains. As he lazily, brought his hands over his head and yawned, he noticed the wedding ring that Cas had placed on his finger the previous night, and smiled to himself.

“Cas?” he called, as he stood up from the bed. It was weird. It was too early and neither of them had to work today. Where was he?  
“Cas, baby, where are you?” Dean said, searching first the bathroom and then the guest room, which they had started turning into a nursery, and then finally walking towards the living room, which was still a mess from the previous night’s party.

Glancing around, there was no trace of Cas anywhere. Then, suddenly, looking towards the front door, his eyes fell on the small furniture that was right next to it. They both used it to put their keys on it and their stuff, first thing when they were returning home. Although, Cas was obviously not in the apartment, his keys were still there. But there was something more than just his keys, lying on it. On a piece of paper lied his wedding ring. Dean, feeling his heart beating faster, approached the furniture and took the paper in his hands, before he opened it and read it.

‘Dean,  
I’m sorry, but I had to leave. I remembered everything from that night I got shot. I now know who my real father is. I know what he did to your mother. If you knew all this, I don’t know how you could still look at me in the eyes and kiss me, but I can’t do that to you. I feel awful and I can never look at you in the eyes again, after this. I’m so sorry for everything. I know that my words don’t have the power to bring your mom back, but still, I’m unbelievably sorry. Please, don’t look for me. You won’t find me. You must learn to live your life without me, ‘cause I can’t be that person for you, anymore.  
I will always love you, but unfortunately, that’s not enough. I am embarrassed and I loathe myself for who I really am. You deserve a lot better. Goodbye, forever…  
Cas.’

And then, the paper fell to the floor. The silence around him was deafening. Cas had left him and it was for good this time. His true mate had abandoned him and he wasn’t coming back. Dean gasped, as he felt his heart shatter into a million pieces and then there was nothing._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! I wanted so much to finish this before the end of the year, so that I could start with the two other parts, which will be so much different (you'll see what I mean, when I post the first chapters of part 2 and part 3)! I think it was fitting for me to end this after all these months. This part, of course, might be completed, but the story is not. But even if there weren't any other parts, I think it can still stand by itself. It has a closure. It just doesn't have a happy ending and that's what the other two parts are for.
> 
> But, anyway, enough of this... I wish you all, happy holidays and we'll talk again, next year! (Happy 2015!!!)


End file.
